Manifest Destiny
by balckwatch1
Summary: The United states of Earth and her colonies have spread across the stars, unknown to the rest of the Galaxy Humanity stands ready for its manifest Destiny.
1. Chapter 1

Humanity, the ever-inspiring race that had held the stars to their whim was no stranger to war. For thousands of years man killed man for the race toward ever-growing empire among the squabbling nations of prewar Earth. It wasn't until the first colonies had spread across Luna, Mars, and its moons that humans came together searching for something else to fight amongst the stars. The masters of war crafted ships, machines, weapons to cripple, maim, and kill in ever growing ways of war. War is all they know, and when the time came it was shown that humanity was its master in the face of the Citadels premiere fighting force.

When a race who had never grasped the ideas of mass effect entered the galactic setting with an already established empire not reliant on element zero, they galaxy stood still. Ships measured in kilometers, armies in the billions, and planets in the hundreds no one had idea how this new race would impact the greater galaxy in the near future and no one had expected the outcome. In the face of tens of thousands of dead Turians, the council was bewildered how such an upstart had defeated "the" army of the galaxy. A people engrossed in the idea of war had it perfected to a science, entire colleges teaching the cream of the officer corps how to fight and win. The story of humanity's eventful triumph and subjugation of the galaxy begins in the first steps of their arrival.

Shanxi, United states of Earth and its colonies 2157

Governor Phing Giap, descendant of the great General Giap followed in his family's footsteps in his early life. Fighting in the third world war against the Chinese armies, he had watched as millions died in his old country of Vietnam. Now in his old age the Asian man commanded the 276th colony of the United states of Earth and her colonies or USEC for short. Leaving the former Vietnamese army almost 40 years ago and going into politics hadn't been is life plan at the time but now, looking out of his Governor's mansion at the thriving populace of Earths newest colony it brought a smile to his face. Right as wristwatch chimed with his assistant's voice.

"Governor Major General Williams is here to see you."

As was the case of any new colony, the USEC army dispatched a Division of soldiers to solidify and fortify any new world on the fringes of humanity. 10,000 men and women of the 245th Martian infantry division now conducted maneuvers to hold and secure Shanxi. General Williams seemed like a solid man militarily, unwilling to back down from any fight, Giap saw his younger self in the man. With a creak of wood, the Pine doors opened to show the fifty four-old Williams in his Green digital USEC army fatigues, the two stars in the center of his uniform denoting his rank of Major General.

"General Williams!"

Giap rose form his desk to shake the officer's hand, looking onto his uniform Giap found an Infantry Combat badge, Airborne wings, and even Space wings of all things. Odd to be on Army personnel but the long Special forces Tab on his left shoulder showed the reason.

"Governor Giap, good to finally meet the man I'll be working with for the next 9 months."

"Yes, you're the second division to be on rotation to Shanxi, how's my home treating you and your men so far?"

Releasing his hand, Williams looked out the ornate windows looking over the city to see USEC dropships conducting touch and goes over rooftops.

"Nice world as far as I can tell, the usual bitching from the troops but that comes with any deployment away from Mars, barracks are clean which is a plus. You're a veteran of the third world war, right?"  
Giaps mind went back sixty years, the jungles of Vietnam ablaze. Hanoi crumbled as hundreds of Chinese paratroopers landed among its shattered remains. Lieutenant Giap of the 9th Mobile Infantry stared alongside his platoon at the oncoming onslaught. Their only hope of surviving the night was reinforcements from the new United states of Earth. Gunfire could already be heard alongside the screams of civilians. Rushing past his meager blockade of wheeled vehicles with the 41 men beside him they would old this intersection against any Chinese daring enough to attack, Vietnam would not fall. He could still remember the smell of flesh, and the screams, so many screams.

"Sir, you ok?"

Breaking from his PTSD induced trace Governor Giap once again looked at Williams.

"Yes sorry, as you were saying yes, I fought in the third world war, I see a CIB on your chest care to tell me where you earned it. It'll be good to inform the people of the experiences of the division on rotation."

"Sure, served with the 85th Martian Special forces Group. Deployed to the first colonial war hitting High value targets across the 12 worlds."

A veteran of the first colonial war? Interesting. The first test of the USEC when it came to seceding worlds just 30 years ago ended with millions dead and the rearmament of humanity to what is was today. Now the policy of rotating army and marine division among the colonies was standard and dozens of fleets patrolled every system in USEC space. Shanxi itself in a decade or so would stand up its own Army and marine divisions for the ever-growing republic that was humanity.

"Good, being on the edges of USEC space and so close to all those reports of pirates does leave the populace on edge but no one would dare attempt a strike here I would think. Now can I get a report on the status of our new defenders."

Smiling, Williams puled his smart watch to holo mode showing a basic USEC army report.

"Yes sir, the 245th encompasses three brigade combat teams, 2 combat one sustainment with 5 battalions per, with a total number of 10,000 personnel. 1st brigade includes all our armored assets with 4 battalions being my main maneuver forces. MBTs and IFVS will funnel infantry to any hotspots that could erupt, alongside the aircrews of third brigade. Ostrich dropships, Goliath APCs, and the new Komodo Main battle tanks would throw any threat off planet in no time. In terms of Arty were looking at a single battalion of Self-propelled Mammoth guns with a range of 20 klicks, more than enough to defend the capitol."

The news of a crack USEC army division being sent here was interesting to Giap, the former rotational unit had been a class 3 Reservist from Luna of all places, not the frontline active troops he saw crossing the skies in his windows now. Odd, the office of Strategic intelligence must have deemed his world vital. A knock at his door grabbed his and Williams attention, a man in the white of the USEC navy entered uncaring of the receptionist yelling behind him.

"Ah, My Naval counterpart Captain Bellinger."

Giap looked the captain up and down to gain a sense of how he commanded. The black man wore the Naval uniform well with a bronze star alongside the crossed tridents of a USEC Navy Seal of all things. Another one of these special warfare types defending this fringe world. Giap was only getting suspicious by the minute with all the tabs floating around his office now. He knew of these types of commanders, hard chargers who would accomplish any mission given to them by their superiors.

"Governor, the 16th Scout flotilla is orbiting your world as we speak, sorry for the lateness had a stopover at Arcturus for refit and resupply. I've got 5 destroyers with 2 heavy cruisers siting here for the next 9 months."

An ungodly amount of ships to Giap, the last deployment had been a measly two destroyers. What the hell was going on here? Picking at the table in the middle of his office a holoprojection of Planetary defense forces appeared alongside a representation of Shanxi. The beauty of his planet brought a smile on his face until he saw the troops deployed right outside the capitol. The local airport held most federal troops with the navy parked right above. The kilometer-long cruisers alongside the 500-meter destroyers in the normal defensive naval formation.

"Captain, explain to me why a Special Warfare Commander is in charge of this formation, my military experience may have been decades ago but two special forces officers are throwing a whole lot of red flags."

Williams sharing a look with Bellinger simply shook his head. Both looking back at Giap Williams was the first to speak.

"Sir, we cannot disclose military intelligence at this time."

So, they were going to pull that card today.

"Commanders, this is my home and my people there is a threat you are not telling me that could possibly in danger them I have every right to know right now."

Giap was now heated, not again, not ever again would his people be in danger. Williams was now typing into his smartwatch exchanging glances at Bellinger until once again Giaps door opened to a uniform he wished he would never see again. The flashbacks came again, a years after the failed defense of Hanoi. Ho chi Mi city now stood as the bulwark against the Chinese onslaught. USEC units had been brought in to shore up defenses and along his section of the city Captain Giap of the 9th Mobile Infantry had been tasked with escorting a USEC Special Operations team behind enemy lines. While Vietnamese armor harassed the Chinese, they would break through to capture a Chinese general who had the ambition of being the Asian Patton. In the end it had cost him 32 men and him seeing just what USEC would do to achieve their goal. The OSI agent in charge had video called the Generals family, and in exchange for not harming them at whatever OSI black site they were at every secret the man had spilled. Thinking it was all over Giap had begun to take his leave until he saw one of the Special warfare operator raise his pistol and fire a single shot into the mans head, right in front of his supportive family until they turned into the CGI models covered in the motion capture equipment, ruthless bastards they were. Coming back to present day his eyes found the woman.

The green digital uniform of the USEC Army and Marines would bring joy to any patriotic citizen of the United states but if one were to look a little closer at the middle-aged woman now standing in front of Giap they would be terrified. Instead of the usual USEC ARMY in bold letters on the left breast in its place stood OSI. The boogeyman that came for any insurrectionist in the middle of the night. The ones horror movies were based on when it came to government black projects gone wrong. Those three simple letters signified the situation had very much changed if the OSI had sent one of their agents to his office of all places.

"Governor Giap please take a seat."

Enraged at the woman ordering him around on his planet of all places and the smart side of his brain turning off survival functions Giap yelled at the woman.

"And who the hell are you to enter my office unannounced and order me around!"

The tan skinned woman stared at the aging Asian man for what seemed like a millennium until the right side of his brain turned on again and he realized what he had just done. Remembering her orders, he took his seat back behind his desk leaving the holoprojector on for all to see. Looking her uniform over he noted no name tape, the unit patch of the 245th and Captains bars on her collar. Walking up to the projector and fiddling with her smartwatch the unnamed woman so far began to send data to the projector, new areas of interest. New icons spread across the screen until it changed from the view of Shanxi to the dwarf ice moon at the edge of the system and new naval designations crossed the screen. Giap knew hundreds of ships came through Shanxi every month for commerce and the construction and upon seeing the three frigates orbiting the moon he wondered how he had missed them. That is until a closer inspection of the ship showed them to be of a stealth variety.

"Whoever you are mam, I would like to know why three OSI frigates are here without my knowledge and furthermore. Information on the situation."

The woman eyes leaving her watch finally matched Giaps, the brown eyes locking on to him like a predator would their prey.

"Governor Giap, are the familiar with what the overall goal of the USEC department of defense is?"

The goal? Of course, every recruit to the highest of generals and admirals knew the goal of the armed forces. For the defense of humanity and all her colonies, how could Shanxi possibly in danger that?

"mam of course for the defense of humanity and all her colonies I took the oath like very person in this room but how could Shanxi pose any danger, we are a fringe world housing no rebels."

Moving to the window and clasping her hands behind her back, there seemed to be a lot more aircraft in the skies of Shanxi now that Giap looked outside. As he began to leave his chair and ostrich dropship thundered right outside. Standing alongside agent whoever now he could see USEC soldiers deploying on rooftops, looking through the streets. Tanks alongside IFVs set up checkpoints and light vehicles shuttled more and more soldiers everywhere it seemd. The military side of his mind could see defensive positions, machine gun bunkers and what looked like engineers building more fortifications. These were not maneuvers, this was an occupation. The Capital of Shanxi was being turned into a fortress before his very eyes and he had no idea why. Turning to the agent once again with a look of fear, something he hadn't felt in years the agent finally answered his question.

"We are not alone governor."


	2. Chapter 2

USS Halsey SFF-1104

Shanxi System, Ice Dwarf

Commander Mike Reynolds knew were he stood in the egotistical ladder that was OSI politics. Fleet Command was considered a backseat to direct action units or the ever-elusive agents the vaunted Office of strategic intelligence sent behind enemy lines. After his last stint at agency work he knew he'd get booted out here to the black fleet as it was known in the naval circles, the stealth ships that could evade any sensor known to man. Cloaking technology hiding the ship form Eyesite alongside coats upon coats of radar absorbent material made the invisible to all but IFFs and only those with direct clearance could find them.

Two weeks after his posting to the USS Halsey and the agency was up in arms about a discovery Shanxi miners had found on the Ice dwarf in system. An unidentified object measuring 15 kilometers long discovered embedded in the ice. Three of the OSIs new Halsey class frigates surrounded the object now, deep seismic by the nerd's from OSI section 3 had given them better and better pictures to what just had been found the by the miners. Reynolds had no doubt the miners were either suddenly forgetting the device or had a nice dirt bath somewhere on Shanxi. Looking out the bridge nothing filled the black of space before the overlay on the glass found the USS Killington, and USS Baker shadowing him. Turning to the pedestal diagonal to the captain's chair, Reynolds to find out if HIGHCOM was sending more assets their way.

"Christina, any more word from Shanxi?"

Illuminating from said pedestal, USEC AI Christina appeared wearing the black uniform of the OSI. AI had been a staple of not just USEC, but humanities push to the stars since the beginning handling fields of science and agriculture for the ever-growing empire.

"Commander, the 245th Martian had deployed alongside the 18th Scout flotilla from Luna. Captain Bakur had requested additional assets from FLEETCOM who in response has sent Rear Admiral Hackett of the USS Yorktown, a Moscow class light carrier with its escorts. Estimated arrival form slip space stands at 3 days."

Three days for the Joint chiefs of staff and president to freak the hell out over some device in ice, Reynolds thought. A Light carrier still packed a hell of a punch compared to its bigger brothers; 75 Fighter bombers ensured the 1.5-kilometer-long vessel could pack a hell of a punch. Pulling up the Flotilla, Reynolds took note of a single cruiser alongside 5 destroyers made up the 23rd Carrier Battle Group. The name Hackett sounded familiar; Reynolds pulled the man's bio on his smartwatch fiddling with the file until he found why it seemed familiar. 15 years ago, at the time Lt commander Hackett had led a Naval assault in the Artemis cluster. A pirate world infested by the dregs of human society had been found by OSI agents embedded on the ground.

Reynolds being one of said agents had green lighted the Navy to conduct an orbital bombardment signing off on the deaths of a million people alongside their ill-gotten gains. The pirates hadn't gone down without a fight, launching decommissioned Frigates and a single cruiser to fend off federal forces the naval battle had been the first test of human fleet tactics since the colonial war. Lt commander Hackett had commanded the USS Killingsworth, a Permes class frigate and gone toe to toe with the rebel's cruiser. Pulling some daring maneuver which involved slingshoting around the planet he'd been able to embed a nuke in the cruiser's engines, Silencing the pirates forever and dooming the world below. Afterword The navy had deployed kinetic energy rod satellites turning the planet below into an earthquake infested slaughter. Casualties estimated at a little under a million had stopped all major pirate activity within the next 20 systems. All in all, an amazing point in the man's career, good tactical officer and if the remarks from his record said anything he was slotted for the full admiral within the next year. Now the 23rd Battlegroup alongside one of the navies best admirals was inbound to assist this event as you could call it.

"Commander, Captain Bakur is requesting a status report on sections threes scientist on site."

Putting Hackett's file away, Reynolds pulled the radio frequency for the ground team. 15 Scientist accompanied by a platoon of Marines had landed planeside 6 hours ago and followed the miner's tunnel into the planet. Regular reports every 30 minutes to the Halseys first officer had been required by the brass. Pulling the latest, pictures of a massive chamber dominated by what looked to be dormant disk in the center of whatever device this had been.

"Icarus six, this is Halsey report."

"Halsey, Icarus six we have touchdown at checkpoint Labyrinth. Structure appears completely intact; AI Daedalus continues to receive communication from object. We have no more to report at this time- wait, say again Daedalus what do you mean mass readings?"

Cutting into the Comm frequency the AI Daedalus pooped up alongside Christina. The same black uniform dominated the AI who somehow looked disheveled for an AI.

"Sir, please…"

Reynolds could only watch as the holographic representation of Daedalus grabbed his "head" ad if he was human with head trauma.

"SIR! PLEASE"

"What is it Daedalus report!"

By now the entire bridge crew's attention was on the AI man slapping his head as if in severe pain.

"SIR, YOU can't, you can't! YOU WILL SERVE"

The last part had not been Daedalus, its voice instead of the human neutral tones of any USEC AI were gone, in it place the hate filled baritone of something else.

"SIR!"

Now Christina looked to be going over data with a scared looked on her face.

"Commander, extreme amounts of dark energy readings from the planet, get Icarus out of their now!"

Punching the holo for all USEC freqs, Reynolds activated evacuation orders for the team's planeside.

"ALL USEC PERSONEL EVACTAITON ORDER GAMMA, SAY AGAIN ACTIAITON ORDER GAMMA REPORT BACK, USS KILLNGOTN AND BAKER MOVE TO 100,000 KM FROM PLANET."

Turning the radio off and feeling the shudder of the ship as its fusion engines began to push IT away from the planet, he could only watch as lines of energy seems to erupt in cracks along the entire ice ball.

"Icarus six report what the hell is going on!"

The AI Daedalus at this point had curled up into a ball on the pedestal he shared with Christina. Mumbling repeatedly Reynolds didn't catch a word until a signal phrase caught his attention.

"You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."

Whatever had happened to the helpless AI it had destroyed whatever discipline the synthetic human had once held.

"Icarus six to Halsey we are boarding ostriches now leaving main tunnel, eta two minutes till were out-"

Whatever words had been left on the platoon leader face were gone in a flash as the ice planet erupted in a glowing aura of blue energy. The cracks of glowing blue had turned to massive fissures until they broke, spreading along the entire planet as water and ice vaporized in the face of the glowing ball of dark energy. Shielding his eyes alongside the entirety of his bridge crew Reynolds brought his arm down when the bridge glass polarized. He had seen the scans, the overall shape of whatever the hell it was but seeing it now, uncovered for all Shanxi to see he was frightened.

The 15-kilometer-long double headed object had a spinning core of dark energy, pointed directly out of system Reynolds had no idea if this was a weapon, ship, or whatever the hell it exactly was. All Reynolds knew was that when FLEETCOM saw this bricks would be shit.

Formerly Governor's mansion, 245th HQ

Everyone saw it, every single soldier, civilian, or sailor in space saw the blue eruption. In a mid-afternoon sky, the light of Shanxi's sun was eclipsed as space itself turned the brightest blue anyone had ever seen. Whatever anyone had been doing stopped immediately as the sky itself turned colors before their eyes, only ending when a distant new star was spotted high in the Shanxi sky. The more military minded folks only began to sweat more, General Williams himself had now ordered the total evacuation of Shanxi's civilian population and put in a request for an entire corps of the USEC army to land plant side. No matter whatever the hell kind of alien space magic was occurring in orbit, the Army would hold Shanxi. Entering what only hours ago had been the governor's mansion situated on a hill above the capitol Williams took in how militarized the place had become. Sandbags dotted every window, light trucks and MRAPs continued to offload comms, staff, and supplies into his new headquarters. Soldiers carried rifles, wore their Plate carriers and helmets, strapped ready to fight at a moment notice. Live ammunition lay in feed trays for machine guns covering fields of fire. Williams himself had an M8 .45 caliber caseless handgun strapped to his plate carrier. The entirety of the situation almost made him chuckle, war had come to shanxi. Williams continued until he found his command center in the former governor's office. Staff NCOs and officers dotted the room as every single movement 245th ID made was plotted on the holo table. Standing alongside it all Captain Bellinger had ditched the navy whites for Army greens to better blend in alongside Captain Bakur.

"Captains, I'm guessing the big blue wave was a sign?"

Grabbing bakurs attention she did away with the city view until a view of the local 7 systems appeared with troop displacements.

"I just of got off the horn with the joint chiefs of all people, the activation of whatever the hell kind of alien artifact has officially moved to number one their hit list. From local systems they've been able to scrounge up 3 Carrier battle groups and 12 Corps of USEC army alongside 5 Marine Expeditionary groups. The idea of simply blowing up the device has been shot down, ETA on all reinforcements is a week at best through slip space. Until said reinforcements arrive, we are to continue observing and holding a defensive pattern. The 23rd should be here in threedays."

The joints chiefs wanted to Shanxi to be a fortress world, Williams only grinned in guessing whatever the hell had the OSI, HIGHCOM, and the Joints chiefs scared would be one hell of a test for humanities metal.

"What do we have for strategic assets?"

Captain Bellinger finally perked up noticing the conversation.

"I've got twenty tactical nukes on the Moscow, 4 Kinetic energy rod satellites siting in bays ready to go, if this turns into a ground battle, we can give anything we meet a bloody nose."

Looking over the details Williams wanted more intel. Anything on the possible threat, Bakur knew what the hell was coming so why hadn't she said anything? Switching back to city view Williams watched platoons, companies, and battalions turn the city into a fortress. Civilian freighters now ferried anyone found off planet under the watchful eyes of USEC Soldiers. This would be a field day for the press but fuck it, their safety mattered more than anything. For Humanity and all here colonies, General Williams and the 245th ID would hold at all cost.

CODEX Humanity

USEC Department of Defense Technical Manual. 5-11.7

DSBA or The Dragon Skin Body armor system is the main equipment and load bearing system used by the USEC Army and Marine corp. Consisting of small Ceramic, Tungsten hybrid plates overlapping one another throughout the vest the "Dragon Skin" is able to take multiple hits from firearms while keeping the wearer protected.

Military Combat helmet or MCH has been the mainstay ballistic headgear of humanities warriors for over 20 years. Taking inspiration from the Spartans of ancient times and the German Army of world war two, the MCH consist of the main shell covering skull regions with mandibles stretching the cheeks. The MCH has proven time and time again at saving soldiers' lives on the battlefield. The option for HUDs, Thermal googles, Night vision goggles, and a myriad of attachments has allowed the MCH to continue service.

Caseless Ammunition- Since the early 2090s following economic crisis, brass was deemed to vital of a metal to waste on ammunition. Caseless ammunition was then made still suing chemical while burning off the destructive case in the process. Todays projectiles used by the USEC armed forces are tipped in Depleted uranium wrapped in a tungsten jacket allowing it to destroy equipment, flesh, and armor.

M5A1 Assault rifle- Developed by Heckler and Bushmaster industries in 2134 the M5A1 has become a mainstay for USEC personnel across human space. Known for its dependability and the ability to continue to fire in space the weapon is now general issue. Chambered in the venerable 6.8 Cartridge the weapon uses standardized ammunition as its SAW counterparts. (think of a big Kriss Vector chambered in 6.8)

M7A3 Squad automatic Weapon- In every fire team of any unit in the USEC armed forces there is a SAW gunner. The M7A3 has filled that role perfectly as after development and issue in 2145 the weapon has surpassed any before. Chambered in the standardized 6.8, and a fire rate of 600 RPM the weapon is unmatched in suppressive fire in terms of accuracy and controllability. (If an MG3 mated with an M249 boom amazing)

Just a note, Combat I don't care how far in the future grim dark or what does not end in some big melee boss battle. If I have a weapon as in firearm, why would I run up to say a rando and punch them or stab them. Melee is reserved for hey I'm outta ammo and imma use this bitch as a club. Just sayin the whole melee thing happening in a lot of books does not happen. Engagements range from 300 to 10 meters but whatevs.


	3. Chapter 3

Relay 314, Citadel Listening outpost 314

To the members of the citadel the resource in dealing with the greater part of space was intelligence. The idea that if a threat was analyzed, cataloged, and dealt with before it could become said threat spoke wonders to the overall strategy of the Citadel races. No race made this ever more present in their strategy than the Salarian union. The race of spies, black ops, and terrible experiments had established listening posts around the galaxy in preparation for yet another Rachni war. An unknown entering the fray that could damage the Triumvirate that had ruled for a thousand years could not ever happen again. Considering the last galaxy wide threat had needed the brutish Krogan to put them down which resulted in yet another war. Now though, a thousand years had passed save for the occasional pirate or slaver raid. An era of peace and prosperity had existed for so long that no one thought the need for military development existed. Save for the once in a salarians lifetime change it had all pretty much stayed the same for a thousand years.

Lieutenant Ostaf Pelarno understood every single reason he was currently sitting alone in a metal space station the size of a middle-class home, but every minute of every day irked the shit out of him. Every day was the same exact schedule, wake up after a full two-hour rest, workout, watch sensors, repeat. Every day for the last two months had gone on like this and in a week his shift would be up thank the gods. His family had told him, oh you'll have so much fun in the STG being the secrets operators of the galaxy. Snarking at such a thought he knew how not a single thing had happened at this dead-end relay. Don't get him wrong the most exciting thing to ever happen was a quick burst of radiation which repeated two minutes later but that had been a month ago. He had reported it of course but nothing had come of it.

Now, his studies into conspiracy theories all over the extranet kept him company. Whispers or the Quarians somehow taking back their home world, the Krogan uniting of all things, and the chance of a mysterious race awaiting behind unopened relays. Those always got him to stay awake at sleeping hours, being next to one of those unopened relays and all. For the 40th time in the last 12 hours he checked, rechecked, and triple checked the relays information systems, Nothing of occurrence as usual. Scrolling back to extranet forums, now this was an interesting thread.

**Why had technology stagnated?**

That wasn't a bad question, looking back it was obvious as soon as a race encountered the fabled element zero and the relays launched whoever into the stars it was over. Technology did in fact stagnate to a degree that innovation one of the prime movers of any economy stagnated. All races led too- his thought would have continued had it not been for the sudden buzzing of an alert alarm. Rolling his chair to the window directly facing the relay the picture looked wrong. The relay and all the others connecting to here looked right they all glowed that bright blue that all relays did that is- wait. WHY THE FUCK IS IT GLOWING, WHO TURNED IT ON. There were protocols for this, any race randomly opening relays was to be pacified and taught why they did not. The turians, yes, the muscle would have to become involved of course. No good salarian would fight the oh so bloody peacekeeping missions they have. What to do, yes.

"Relay 314 listening post I have confirmed activation of Dormant relay 314 requesting Citadel pacification fleet."

"Roger 314 this is Admiral Desolas Arterius of the 12th Patrol fleet inbound ETA 12 hours break; any intel would be nice here listening post."

"None to report Admiral the relay just lit up! I've got no idea what's on the other side, I'm sending red flag verification to citadel command."

Shanxi orbit, USS Trafalgar CA-562 13 Hours after "Activation"

To summarize USEC Naval craft all one must do is look at the A-10 warthog of the 20th century. Get the gun and build the entirety of the ship around the shooting of said gun. USEC Navy ships packed Magnetic accelerator cannons capable of throwing depleted uranium slugs measured in the hundreds of tons into anyone foolish enough to stop it with their face. Not reliant on the FTL methods of Element zero and unknown to the USECN at the time the ships orbiting above Shanxi would have been an actual fleet by Citadel standards. To the USECN it was a small escort flotilla whose uses included anti-piracy operations or the occasional showing of the flag.

Captain Bellinger was the first to hear of Humanities fate in the face of galactic history.

"CONTACT!"

The entire bridge crew of his cruiser stood still, not a word as every single uniform turned to the lone sensor operator sweating bullets at the sudden arrivals. Hands flying over the glowing blue holographic interfaces the sensor operator had pulled the first images of first contact for humanity. Captain Bellinger immediately recognized the swept wing with bird of prey design, unknown to anyone else aboard the flagship who hadn't been in the OSI briefing. What had been formally an ice dwarf now FTL deice if the OSI was to be believed had transported two dozen alien craft into the Shanxi system. Illuminating on the AI pedestal, Aurora an OSI Smart AI gave the Captain a look before the screaming of sirens and the general quarters Klaxon erupted.

"ALL HANDS, ALL HANDS GENERAL QUARTERS!"

Crew members rushed around the bridge back to their seats, headsets found ears as confirmation from ships captains was heard. Bellinger took his captains seat as Marines entered through the doors at their post alongside the access doors. The two-dozen crewman in the Naval blues of the USEC Navy were prepared to defend for Earth and all her colonies.

"Charge MAC cannon! Prep nuclear torpedoes and get any fighter we have out of the bays! Ladies and Gentlemen remember what we fight for today!"

"Captain Bellinger if I may, I have already sent first contact packages on all frequencies toward the alien fleet. No response yet but wait, fleet is moving fast towards Shanxi right past Commander Reynolds." Aurora said interrupting the confused chaos that was USECN bridges.

Pulling the tactical display, the table in front of his chair became a view of the solar system. Blue holographic representations of USEC craft alongside the red birds of prey passing within 30,000 KM of each other. The OSI frigates must have been in stealth for the Alien craft to see nothing waltzing on by. The no response from the first contact package was not a good sign and if need be Captain Bellinger would have to draw a red line in the sand.

"Alert General Williams and Captain Bakur, Commo signal Earth Priority message."

The time had finally come. Any USEC Commander knew they were not alone in the universe but to be the one to find the aliens was terrifying. 10 years in the seal teams didn't do shit to harden your nerves against literal aliens in a galaxy changing event. In the case of actual first contact every ship flying the flag of the USEC held a single secure container containing the communication codes and frequencies for the joint chief and even the president. Two keys, one held by the highest-ranking Naval Officer and one by Commander of the marine detachment would open the secure box holding the power to speak to the most powerful office in human history. At the Bottom of the AI pedestals the box held two key holes, marine Captain Woods was already standing alongside as they both interested and turned the keys. Inside Bellinger grabbed a single OSD and handed it to the comms officer before looking back to the AI aurora. The crisp looking female AI only shrugged, Bellinger would have been a little nervous of speaking to the big P but looking to the holo table he had bigger things to worry about. The vid screen directly to the left of the table was normal until the seal of the president of the united states took over. Standing at attention Captain Bellinger took in the new scene of a long table with the highest rankings humans in existence staring directly at him. Before he could speak the big P did it for him.

"Report Captain, AI Aurora has already updated with as much intel as possible, but I want to hear it for you what are we looking at?"

Well here goes the impossible.

"Sir confirmed alien presence in Shanxi, first contact packages have been sent. Alien ships have not made hostile purpose yet but are inbound for Shanxi."

The president classed his hands together deep in thought, Bellinger felt a small sweat begin at his back thinking about what could happen in the next 15 minutes. If the alien wanted war than the entire galaxy would shake at humanities resolve.

"If they are too close to within 300,000 KM captain you are to engage with any weapon at your disposal including WMDs, if they are to land upon Shanxi itself I am authorizing kinetic energy rods at tactical and strategic levels. Any and all intelligence that can be found is priority, the Seal team aboard the USS Halsey is to board an alien craft and find out just what they are. The Fleets will arrive in two days Captain hold out alongside the army as long as you can, not one step back humanity shall not falter, and this government will not see it threatened."

The implications of every order just given was not lost on Bellinger, nukes, the rods from god, and a seal team boarding one of their ships. The only thing he could answer with was now on the table, Bellinger saluted the commander in chief.

"Yes sir, for earth and all her colonies."

The big P responded in kind before the anchor of the navy once again filled his screen. Bellinger hadn't noticed that during his entire conversation the bridge had gone silent with every eye on him. Seeing the exchange was over the low rumble of conversation once again filled the bridge as sensor operators, weapons, and flight crews hurried to make the flotilla ready.

"Aurora, get me Commander Reynolds on the line I want seal team 63 prepped and ready to move ASAP inform them of their missions' parameters once the aliens breach the red line."

"Yes captain, current movement suggest we have 14 minutes till this occurs. Orders for the flotilla?"

"Continue to hold defensive posture above the capitol, might as well not start any hostilities just yet but prep nuclear mines they could come in handy for any ground operations."

"Yes sir, orders away."

USS Halsey, Shanxi shadowing Alien flotilla NAVSPECWARCOM ready room.

Boarding an unknown alien craft in the middle of what was soon to be a major naval engagement with a platoon of men might have sounded hard to any normal marine or sailor but to these men and women currently readying M5A4 rifles and sealing hard suits it was just another day at work. Navy seals had come along way since the days of ground-based ops with humanities jumping into orbit, but the job had stayed the same none the less. Lieutenant Jack Harper conducted his final PMCS before hearing this hiss of air as his HUD came online linking to his weapon. Loadout showed 30 in the magazine, one in the chamber, oxygen at 100%, team vitals in the bottom. 16 of the navy's bests would strike a ship on the outskirts of the alien formation grabbing navigation data to bring back to the fleet, that is IF the red line set by the president himself apparently was crossed. In seven minutes, the entire galaxy would hold its breath as humanity made its first steps into the galactic order. Harper didn't care for any of this though, the politics, the rules of the Navy guided his life for now and being one of the selected few to be the tip of the spear against USECs first galactic threat. Leaving the prep area his entirely black armor stood out amongst the green of Marines and blue of other navy personnel. Every person he crossed looked at the Trident and eagle on his chest alongside the black bars of a LT before shying away from the T-visor helmet. Reaching the shuttle bay, the first members of the 16 man platoon he found were Petty officer first classes Eva and Hislop. Good operators with years under their belt they'd served in anti-piracy seal teams before coming to the dark side that was OSI wetwork. Readying what looked be of all things an M420 General purpose machine gun, Harper rose a brow under his helmet as Eva handled ammunition boxes into her battle belt and vest. Noticing the stare Hislop was the first to answer any question.

"Accuracy through volume sir, I've got the 16-inch barrel for her in the shuttle should be plenty of boom for her weight."

Setup an MG team in a hallway or shuttle bay and no one would get past, smart.

"Roger that Petty officer, Eva's your assistant gunner?"

"yes sir, packing enough ammo for whatever alien menace we find aboard."

"Roger that, have you received the mission parameters?"

"Yes sir, everyone got the OPORDER, team ones in Ostrich 417 while Team 2s in 418 prepped and ready to go they were just waiting on us to get the big guns and you sir."

That brought a smile to Harpers face.

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting."

CODEX

Slip space- the form of FTL devised by USEC scientist in the year 2098 the device implemented on every single USECN ship creates wormhole pockets allowing faster than light travel greater than Mass effect FTL. Using their own engines under this has been deemed the only drawback by USECN commanders and retired Citadel officers.

M420-General purpose machine gun. Issued two per every weapons squad in every marine or army platoon the M420 is used in medium to long range enjoyments going past 600 meters. Chambered in .338 caseless and belts ranging from 50 to 500 the weapon is both man portable and vehicle operated. (SPMG from Arma 3, feel bad for the poor bastards that has to lug this around.)

UD-113 "Ostrich" dropship- designed by Lockheed-MIG industries the Ostrich after its introduction in 2122 has become the mainstay of USEC expeditionary forces in the wider human controlled galaxy. Able to ferry half a platoon from orbit to ground and carry light IFVs, APCs, or wheeled vehicles underslung USEC invasions cater around this vital craft. Note the UD-113H or "heavy" model is used to carry supplies or vehicles such as the Komodo Tanks deemed too heavy for regular Ostrich variants. Armed with door mounted M420s while in atmosphere and a nose mounted 30MM chain gun the ostrich is more than capable of defending itself in combat. Special Stealth variants have been developed by Lockheed-MIG but are unknown the general public at this time. (RAVEN from COD AW)

Note.161st Special operations Air and space regiment? 160th SOAR with a futuristic feel flying black.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

TSF Might of Palaven

"Sir, these upstarts have a fleet in orbit sensor reads show two dreadnoughts and five cruisers in a defensive pattern over the only settlement on planet!"

Admiral Desolas Arterius was pleased this deployment would not all be training exercises and pirate boarding's. A chance to show the galaxy once again, and especially these upstarts why you didn't fuck with the Turian Hierarchy. For 1,000 years we have stood as the guardians of the citadel at our rightful spot at a council of our peers. This bug under the boots of my troops will be but a footnote. Though for a species just now opening the relays to have not one but TWO dreadnoughts are odd, bot doable 7 Cruisers, a dreadnought, and 12 frigates would be more than enough for the paltry planetary defense force. Then to top it all off once the PDF was finished the 7th Legion would head groundside for "Pacification". Textbook scenario made out almost 500 years ago, if this went all correctly he could be looking at maybe a war college or even a post next to the primarch.

"What is our distance from the planet now sensor operator?"

His bridge crew was young, untested officers straight out of the academy save for his XO. Still had that shining look in their eyes at what they thought the galaxy was really like.

"Sir, 400,000 KM and closing 3 minutes and well be within range of enemy fleet."

"Good, get our mass accelerator online and get targeting for the dreadnought I want to see it fall. Crewman of the Tuirian Hierarchy these upstarts think they can break citadel law show them why we are feared by the galaxy!"

Now all he had to do was wait, his brother was on this expedition as well. Saren had turned out to be one hell of a soldier, his NCOs and officers couldn't praise him enough even if sometimes it was to get at his brother. But all Turians knew they would get nothing out of anything but service to the hierarchy.

"Sir! We are at optimal firing range, 350,000 KM all ships have targeting solutions set across the entire fleet!"

Desolas stood at the edge of the bridge, from here outside the glass he could barley make out the black pinpricks denoting the ships. The beautiful garden world would be well to sell off to somebody when this business was finished. The dammed asari would throw a fit but reason would be seen after a while. What could pass for a turian smile found his face and looking to the sensor he ordered.

"Fire."

The shuddering of the ship and the massive fireball moving at inconceivable speeds marked the end for this upstart fleet. 20 kilograms of solid steel left the barrel of the kilometer-long dreadnought racing towards the USS Trafalgar unknown to the turians. The "Shell" impacted alongside two dozen of its counterparts the lightshow of impacts blinding the entire turian fleet before slowly unshrouding the unknowns. Desolas expected great fireballs as had happened with pirate vessels a dozen times before but instead, it seemed as if nothing had happened. With a snarl he turned to the gunnery LT with a mask of rage at the dumbstruck officer.

"Sir! I have recorded impact that shot would have gutted an Asari dreadnought! I don't know what happened!"

"Did you miss you fool! All ships report in any damage at all!"

His XO zoomed in on the alien fleet, black metal marked red showed on the dreadnaught where multiple shots had impacted. One of the cruisers was listing to port its engines off but the rest seemed just undamaged after taking a full bombardment from the mightiest Hierarchy vessels.

"Sir, TFS Menae reports one vessel offline the rest minimal damage!"

That brought any conversation to a standstill before Desolas took over once again.

"All ships fire at will! Send report for any reinforcement possible I want those ships out of my space!"

"YES SIR!"

USS Trafalgar CA-562, Bridge

Oh, they fucking done it now. The USS Sampson was without power, half its crew dead due to loss of life support and listing jettisoning escape pods. His sister Heavy Cruiser USS Zhaken had her armor dented in some places and loss of life support in the shuttle bay but still combat capable. Now for the return fire you alien son of a bitches.

"All ships return fire weapons free on all alien targets may none survive!"

If desolas had been standing on the bridge of the USECN cruiser he would have noticed the difference between the Mass Accelerator of the citadel galaxy and that of the Magnetic mounted on the Trafalgar. Where one had a smooth transition form ships to space, the violent cataclysmic boom of lobbing a 200-ton tungsten shell out of a cannon the size of a fighter would have had radical consequences. Alongside these massive shells of human anger, Missile tubes spawned rockets 15 feet long screaming toward the turian fleet. Nuclear payloads primed and ready to go in the same time it took the hierarchy to fire five shots from every single ship both weapons struck. 8 new suns erupted in Shanxi sky, in it 9 ships of the prideful Hierarchy ceased to exist alongside the thousand or so crewman sucking in vacuum. On the other side of this slug match the USS John Abrams was gone, cut right down her spine by a well-placed mass accelerator on her gun tube.

"Keep up the pressure, Aurora status on the seal team get a crippling shot if we can and what of our fighters?"

Pulling the display, the blue indicators of the Jackal fighter bombers showed all eight pilots in formation starboard side of his cruiser.

"Sir, CWO5 Makin is ready and willing to engage orders?"

Among the alien craft the largest would obviously house their leadership but that was not the goal of the seals, any would do and selecting one of the smaller vessels Bellinger knew what Makin could do.

"CWO5 Makin target this ship sending specifics now… I want her engines crippled and if you can life support it will make it easier for the seals roger?"

"yes sir, we are Oscar mike."

Looking out the bridge windows Bellinger could faintly make out the cherry red engines of the jackals flying right past. It may or not be suicide going into the unknown against aliens, but they needed the nav data if this war went on any longer. Humanity would never bow; they would go out fighting.

"Sir, Gunnery reports disarmament of ship identified as cruiser class, last round ripped its main gun right off orders?"

"Retarget the rest allow none to make it back and order those OSI frigate to begin engaging."

"Yes sir, Orders sent Commander Reynolds is decloaking to engage."

The tactical display now showed wreckage where once the xeno fleet had been, save for the "cruiser" a couple corvettes and a frigate what had once been 18 strong now looked to be around 5 half mobility kills. He would have to send a letter to the Martian naval Academy on their amazing gunnery classes, and the AIs of course.

"Get the seals in their now Aurora, no telling if these bastards called for any reinforcements."

"yes sir."

OSTRICH 417, Seal Team 63 Team 1

LT Jack Harper could admit he was a little jolted by flying under stealth a kilometer away form an alien vessel. Ever since they had passed the OSI frigates the two stealth ostriches had shadowed one of the outlying ships as close as possible waiting for these newbies to open fire. Although they had never met any, humanity kinda figured most aliens would be hostile from growing up watching every first contact scenario go bad and this event he guessed was go- the sudden jolt of the ostrich going every which way and ever threw him into a g induced push in the seat. The ostrich had no windows save for the cockpit but pulling his smart watch and lighting the local display he found the reason the dropship was freaking out.

The flashes of whatever type of weaponry these ships held illuminated his watch as the rest of his team could see the rounds heading straight for the USECN. Their brothers and sisters would die today and they in retribution would kill every single Xeno they found. For five minutes the seals watched as they slug fest of capitol ships engaged each other in a no hold bar fight. Seeing a USECN destroyer blow up from the inside only made the seals agitated, 500 men and woman burning up while waiting for orders to engage made the situation worse. 8 jackal fighters were speeding out of the navy formation for their corvette now. Target designated windchime would be their key to any navigational data these bustards had, closing within a minute the fighters went straight for the engines. What could only be described as a shield popped up occasionally as 50MM cannon rounds wrecked the flimsy metal that housed main propulsion but other than that no defensives awaited the 8-fighters strong wing going over the ship like scavengers. After the light of the engines went out the eight predators chewed the main gun till it was wreckage and the now floating wreck was defenseless.

"Illusive 6 this is Aurora you are go for objective windchime, happy hunting Aurora out."

Final fucking lee, time for business. Racking the slide of his M5A4 harper smiled under the T visored helmet. Press checking, re checking, attempting to strip the magazine. Every single seal did these movement at the same time as the ostrich closed to within jumping distance. Humanities best ship to ship operators would do good by their country today, the pilots now looking back gave the thumbs up for jump and lowered the ramp. The sudden expulsion of oxygen from the allowed the occupants to enter zero gravity. Unclicking first harper space walked toward the edge of the ramp to take in the blackness of space and the orange white target.

"Team 1 this is 6, Breaching charges identifying targets now. Haggis your up blow us a hole and if you can vent the fuckers."

The plan for any breaching of a space travelling vessel was to place explosive charges on the hull, in doing so venting the atmosphere into the bulkheads and venting the crew. Terrible way to die either freezing in space, boiling away, or sucking air but fuck em. Team 1 and team 2 would enter at different points of the bird like ship making the threat of bottlenecking impossible. Using a hull scanner Haggis found the least dense point on the hull, placed two 20-pound C20 satchels and looked to harper for the order. With a fist and most likely a shit eating grin under haggis mask the clacker detonated the charges. With magnetic gloves the team stayed connected tot the hull while 4 of the xenos rushed out of the formally sealed bulkhead.

Harper got a good look at his new enemy, avian, raptor like and a surprise on his face before his eyes burst from his skull. Armored in their appearance as well, no weapons visible.

"enter the breach, weapons free ROE is at your discretion nobody dies today."

7 clicks responded to the order as haggis entered first, thermal NODs already on scanning the interior showed a barracks type room now devoid of any life. What had to be the Xenos belongings floated in the void. Entering behind Hislop a small hand-crafted toy floated past into space. After decompression the doors must have shut sealing this deck off, that would not do.

"Charges if we have to blow every single door open, we will, team two report."

"6 we've entered what I'm guessing is the mess hall, lotta floating xenos moving toward what is estimated to the bridge over."

"Roger, Charlie mike we will meet you at the bridge."

Turning back to Haggis already placing more charges atmosphere returned to the room, items dropped to the floor all round and the team secured themselves to the floor weapons coming up to any door.

"haggis back away from the door."

Backing up haggis had enough time to bring his barrel up before the door opened to a fire team of the avians. In the same amount of time both sides fired point blank into each other, a flashing from the avians side before blue blood began to coat the walls behind them. Haggis went down in the first seconds of the firefight, vitals glowing red. In ten seconds in was over. 4 avians spurting blood slumped over or inside the door. The growing pool of red blood from haggis informed the team of his situation, but the mission came first.

"Team two this is 6 encountered xenos, susceptible to small arms fire 1 man down already."

"Roger"

"Team one, to the fucking bridge now!"

Passing the avian bodies everyone knew this ship wasn't very big and the next firefight was just around the corner. With three guns facing the front and the rest the rear Team 1 moved with purpose toward the front of the ship, only the occasional avian or two met them on their way and all lights operated at low power. Some of the avian wore helmets while others light armor. Didn't matter in the face of depleted uranium rounds stitching bodies and throwing limbs. Ten Minutes after initial brief Team one had found the door to the bridge, a dozen dead xenos littered the hallway defending the one door. Grenades were a hell of a device when they threw spikes in every direction or another personal favorite. Tear gas, they'd had listened to the bastards choke and with some discipline attempt to continue their defense but when Harper had come around the corner the coughing faces of the xenos found and M5 barrel.

"Team two report."

"Team two standing by at secondary entrance to bridge prepared to breach."

"Roger Place charges, wait for go over."

"Rog placing."

With haggis out of commission it had fallen to another member to carry breaching charges, Petty officer third class Damen rolled the sticky tape onto the four corners of the door in expert fashion. The thermite tape would burn through the locks themselves allowing the cratering effect of the explosive to push the door inwards at the enemy.

"Team two ready."

"Roger team one ready, 3,2,1, BREACH!"

The thermite oxide burned away and the wump of the cratering charge through the hundreds of pounds of metal door inward. Harper was first through the door followed by Eva and Hislop. The elongated bridge stretched all the way to the pilot would an uplifted area for the presumed to be captain. 20 naval crewmen turned to the entering teams and pulled weapons. Hislop let the M420 sing, the belt fed weapon cutting down five before they rest got to cover team one and two moved with extreme prejudice as speed was the name of the game in the breach. Before sporadic unaimed shots met them as harper rushed towards the pilot's chair shooting anything that moved. Combat reloads throwing magazines behind him as he shot every living body until it crumpled to the floor. In 30 seconds, it was over. Seal Team 63 made history with the first Humans to take an alien vessel, the objective haggis had died for was completed. Eva had found the captains chair and had hooked aurora enter their main systems, scanning every single piece of data and sending it to the USS Trafalgar.

"Alright orders are to scuttle this boat, the Halsey will fire on here after we exfil Ostrich 417, 418 this is illusive 6 prepared for exfil at bridge were going to blow out the glass confirm?"

"Roger illusive 6 expediate one of the accompanying vessels in moving toward our local."

"Roger, be advised we lost one body still onboard"

"Roger that illusive 6 moving toward bridge now."

One man in millions, thought harper. This was only the beginning.

CODEX- F-180 Jackal Designed by Northrup Rafael in the 2130s the Jackal is the backbone of orbital and atmospheric fighter craft for the USECN, USECAF, and USECCG. Continued development of the fighter line has made the jackel able to maneuver on any mission payload. Variants include F-180S Stealth vairent, F-180B bomber variant, and F-180X experimental. (Ill admit its from call of duty IW it looks pretty legit.)

USECN Ship armor- layers upon of classified metals house the best and brightest of the USECN, theories have been found on the internet or extranet for whatever side of the great divide you lay on as to its contents but the main three include a layer or depleted uranium, tungsten, and ceramic plates in excess of a foot thick on some vessels while going to a maximum of two on others.

Note when shooting somebody- unlike the age-old tale of double tap which is nonsense if homboi is wearing armor one should keep shooting said target until they are dead. If you are familiar with the term long tab they are taught to "melt" targets. Imagine the wicked witch of the west with bullets. That is what harper just did to a bunch of turians.


	5. Chapter 5

TFS Might of Palaven, Shanxi cluster

Nukes, these primitives used nukes and had…defeated a turian fleet. Desolas gripped the handrail in the bridge harder at the thought of something so rare to have happened to him. Defeated, floating in the void waiting for the reinforcements that would hopefully come. What was left had of the scout fleet had been disabled by crippling shots from whatever types of weapons these upstarts fired, hundreds if not thousands of turians lay dead in the vacuum because of his defeat, he would be demoted. Made an example of what not to do in naval strategy by the admiralty hell even the primarch. In his blindness of believing the turian navy unbeatable he had fallen from grace.

"Sir all survivors reporting in, other than initial first contact from the aliens no word yet. The TFS Magenta of Tridend was just scuttled by one of the new frigates, before loss of contact we had reports of boarding actions by aliens."

Boarding actions? Spirits no!

"They must have gone for data, anything else was secondary by the spirits if these people get ahold of Palaven or even the citadel!"

His XO was almost screaming by the last word, his double flanged voice quivering.

"Calm down, you sound like a brand-new ensign we are supposed to be officers of the hierarchy not children scared of the darkness!"

A new mission must be given, or the words of his subordinates would drive him mad.

"Sir incoming vessels from the relay! IFF shows batarians?"

Batarians? Perfect, theses dumbasses could take the fall and casualties form taking the planet. Being a Turian naval admiral they would answer to him if ordered under the citadel compact.

"Hail those vessels and inform them they are now under command of the Turian Hierarchy, how many have arrived?"

"over two hundred sir! Receiving call batarian admiral on screen! And I've lost contact with the three cruisers behind us!"

Admiral was definitely a stretch of the word, more like pirate, slaver, smuggler. "Admiral" Cetok Pabgagan was well known among Citadel space for his former service in the terminus systems, service by slavery and pillage to the hegemony.

"So the great Admiral Desolas Arterus has finally met his match ehh? Pleased to be of service to the oh so great citadel council how may I owe the favor turian?"

Desolas was pulling all stops to win, no matter what in the years he had served the hierarchy he'd learned quite a bit about rules and regulations regarding emergencies.

"Under the Citadel Defensive Armament treaty of 2054, I am requisitioning your vessels under my command per Citadel overarching authority Admiral, your first orders are to engage the enemy fleet currently orbiting above the capital city of the planet."

The anger that flashed through the batarian four eyes was not lost upon desolas, these batarians would have to do until more proper soldiers form the hierarchy could exit the relay. This fight would have to be taken to the ground after the fleet itself was destroyed which reminded him.

"Furthermore, I require troop transports for the 7th legion you will land whatever expeditionary forces you have upon the single city planetwide and round up as many of the natives as possible. ROE is at your discretion for all I care."

Now the thought of a small percentage of these natives, disappearing in batarian cargo holds brought a smile to Cetoks face.

"Of course SIR, I'll have them prepared as soon as possible all ships ahead full cut this filth away!"

Cutting the video connection Desolas watch as two hundred sharks ranging from frigates to two dreadnaughts engaged the remaining 5 natives. In 7 minutes the batarians fleet eclipsed his former and rained hellfire upon the enemy. A cruiser here, half a frigate their died in fireballs across space but in the face of 200 mass accelerators after two volleys it was over. IFFs showed the batarins had lost 3 cruiser and 7 frigates in the exchange for the entire enemy fleet now the ground war began, and the generals took over, desolas show was down for now. 7th legion and whatever the batarians brought would end this fight now.

OP Beta, 1st Platoon B Company 3-13 Martian Infantry Bn Capitol City

"yes sir that conforms it, navy just got its ass beat."

Sergeant Zaeed massani watched as the formally dark night sky lit up with parts of the navy's flotilla crashing into orbit. Who knew how many men and women of the USECN hadn't escaped to pods before the ships around them exploded but Zaeed knew one thing, when these aliens fucks touched dirt they were his game, and he the hunter. For an entire day the division had turned the city into a kill box, tanks lay in bunkers, machine guns covering windows and open areas ,pre-determined artillery fire zones would make any invasion hell on the attacker. The defense itself relied on a light ring holding the outskirts to draw the enemy in before conducting lighting attacks to surround and eliminate the attacker. Mechanized assets hid in underground shelters or carparks waiting for just their moment.

Zaeeds fireteam of four including himself made up this outer cordon alongside the entirety of Bravo company, 125 men and woman of the 6-8 Martian Cavalry squadron. The objective to call in artillery as soon as possible on drop zones then scooting further into the city. Relaying on snipers, auto rifleman, and machine gunners to catch the enemy at every inopportune moment until the QRF ran them over.

"Sgt, spotted engine burn coming into atmosphere goddam theirs a lot of them their headed toward the center of the city. Wait I've got four headed to the parking lot directly to our front."

Zaeeds OP was on the fourth floor of a stable housing structure overlooking a malls parking lot and a chain of stores. In it the textbook landing zones for anyone wanting to disgorge their cargo and be off quickly. The cars themselves had been abandoned a day ago by the locals and by the looks of the four ships on a direct route for the parking lot Zaeed determined it to be their landing zone. 1 appeared similar to the ships that had been in orbit while the other three reminded him of a brick somehow pulling maneuvers in atmosphere.

"OP Beta to Bad 6, zone 7 about to look mighty crowded over."

"Roger that Op Beta report when touchdown over."

Now hovering over the LZ the dropships threw all manner of debris and dust into the air as its door opened and humanity got its first look at aliens, Zaeed took a picture with his watch before retrieving his laser range finder and eyeing the invaders. The Bird ship had dropped off in less than descriptive terms, birds. Standing what looked to be around 6-7 feet tall all wore armor with helmets covering their faces, moving with military precision after exiting their ship. On the other side of the coin the more numerous boxes opened to reveal four eyed humanoids who disembarked as if it was a causal stroll. Reminded him of the colonial rebels he had seen videos of all those years ago in basic training, untrained idiots holding a gun. This was going to be easy.

"OP beta to Bad 6, we are go for touchdown bring the rain over."

"Roger, fire mission received shells out."

Organic to any infantry battalion in every company lay a single mortar platoon. Packing 120MM M652 mortars capable of launching their myriad of projectiles at over 3 Kilometers the rocket assisted shells could cause havoc to light armor and structures. Against infantry and light vehicles in the open it would be a massacre. Hearing the telltale whistle Zaeed could only look with happiness as the air burst munitions landed among the enemy. Before impact the birds had a look of either nervousness or questioning while the 4 eyes looked skyward for the noise making device. With a sudden burst of razor sharp metal the 82 men and women he guessed spread out among the parking lot turned to ground meat, slow moving shrapnel ripped armor and flesh apart. The dropships with non-ballistic glass encasing its pilots dropped to the ground in fire and crumpled frames their pilots now cans of flesh flowing in liquid form around the cabins. The aftereffects of USECA air burst munitions left three survivors, two wounded enough to only barley be standing. Zaeed turned to the machine gunner as he holstered his laser range finder.

"Gunner inform them they have to wrong address."

With a smile the belt fed weapon sang it song of accuracy through volume and dealt with the survivors.

Invasion +39 Min 245th HQ, Governor's mansion

"Sir forward scouts have reported Xeno landings all along the perimeter, mortars have been deemed extremely effective as the enemy doesn't seem to understand what they are. Calls for ammunition are coming in from all along the front and the aviation Battalion is calling as to whether or not they can engage yet."

The plan was working, the birds as they were now calling them showed skill in small unit tactics but beyond actual engagements were inept at combined arms or mechanized warfare. How mortars, a weapon used for several hundred years by humanity were proving this effective at defeating the alien astounded him. The four eyes on the other hand were meat shields in terms of warfare, in videoed engagements all across the front they either withered on the vine picked off one by one in the open or attempted full frontal assaults. Reports of some type of shield blocking flashing in the occasional mortar burst had come to HQ but none of it helped their wearers. No light armor had been reported across the entire city, just dropships dropping off wave after wave of birds and four eyes. Was this how these aliens somehow won wars? Small unit tactics with each individual of the squad specialized in something but master of nothing else?

"Sir we have prisoners in section 2A, relaying helmet cam now."

Already? Dam. The sounds of heavy breathing filled the command center, Staff Sergant Ramos of the 2-35 Infantry Battalion stood in view, identified by his IFF tag.

"Sir, we've got some 4 eyes here laying down weapons after they got hit by mortars orders pertaining to the alien's sir?"

"Bag em and tag em, OSI wants some of these assholes for interrogations. Bring them to Castle base."

"Roger that sir, ill send them in a 5 ton."

Video feed cutting Williams watched the live feed of the entire city, green highlighting human control showed 80% of the city still in USEC hands. Red tendrils marked inroads made by the aliens and orange heavy fighting among the combatants. Before his untimely demise Captain Bellinger had dropped off four rods from god satellites or loki, tactical level only and if the situation came to it Williams had no qualms of showing these aliens no price was to steep for humanities survival.

"Sir radar contact their coming in atmosphere!"

He didn't have to look at the operators screen, in bright red a corvette sized vessel was now coming through the cloud cover firing whatever type of cannon it held point black into the city, that would not do.

"Get Lieutenant colonel Vakuz online, I want his guns to swat that ship out of the ksy clear?"

"yes sir!"

Vakuz held all of Williams triple A throughout the city. Mounted on rooftops to get the best angle on airborne threats the 50MM cannons had wreaked havoc so far on the lightly armored dropships. Downing that fucker was now their priority, its cannons had already leveled two skyscrapers with fires and ash clouding the city. Moving to the window to get a real time look, tracers lit up the entire sky. Flashes of fire marking downed birds while the explosions of light on the ground showed artillery impacts. He could almost make out the ship through the haze of smoke when two dozen lines of fire began to move up and down her hull, pockmarks of blackened metal erupted until the light of her engine gave away and the ship itself began to descend toward the city. Whatever poor bastards was under it would surely be lost but It was better than getting royalty bombarded. With an earth shattering shake similar to the rods, the ship clicked the last surviving skyscraper on it way down and crashed directly in the center of the city, right among the tanks of the 91st Martian armored Battalion. With a broken skyline marked by dropships not of human make and red tracers Williams knew this battle had only just began.

2nd Platoon 4-5th Martian Armored Battalion Charlie Company callsign "War pig" Invasion +1

"Left fucking side gunner! Infantry in the open!"

"On the way!"

With a racking of the 120MM main gun, a shotgun shell the size of a football turned a squad of Batarian pirates into paste. War pig and its cohorts of 2nd platoon had held this intersection against hundreds of these four eyed assholes, 20,000 civilians held up at the spaceport relied on men and woman wearing the uniform of the army today and LT Vasquez would not fail them. The evacuation had begun yesterday but getting a hundred thousand people on retrofitted freighters took a while.

"Gunner traverse left, vehicle in the open 200 meters!"

"identified, switching to HEAT on the way!"

The autoloading carousal had already loaded the HEAT shell as the gunner spoke, rocking once again, the dug in hull of the Komodo MBT was impervious to whatever fire these aliens brought against it. Casualties had already been had in form of the cavalry scouts at the edge of the battle zone, mapping enemy movements for artillery and whatever air assets were left the city had been turned into a modern-day Stalingrad. To take even a single house the enemy took horrendous casualties as the bodies of hundreds piled up in the four-way intersection leading down the main highway of the capitol. Vasquez platoon had been dug in facing outwards covering on ramps and the hundreds of deserted cars littering the road. This unit of four eyed fucks had begun their assault only 10 minuets ago with those light armored vehicles leading their charge, somehow vaulting over the abandoned vehicles they showed great maneuverability but lacked in the armor department. Now three burning wrecks and 3 dozen cans of ground beef held up by armor marked their graves.

"War pig this is redrawn status on enemy troop numbers over."

"Redrawn, war pig 3 dozen foot mobiles in light armored APCs break, small arms only over."

"Roger, continue to delay alien forces in your sector Redrawn out."

Looking back through the camera screens, only the burning wrecks lit up under FLIR, the Shanxi night sky was now overcoming the light as Vasquez prepared himself for the long haul.

"Sir contact edge of the battle zone, 400 meters onramp 18E I've got four of them coming up."

Switching camera to 18E Vasquez eyed what looked to be four of the birds under- was that a fucking shield bubble? One of them had is arms stretched out above his head and a strained look on his face. What the fuck kind of space magic was this.

"Gunner, get me a grapeshot round see what these fuckers look like as mincemeat."

"Roger loading Grapeshot, On the way!"

The four now turned to nothing as blue stains marked where the space magic user had once been.

"yah real fucking lot your space magic helped you Xenos. This is war pig sending traffic to redrawn got some kind of space magicy bullshit.."

Note- 2,000 views that's pretty cool amigos.

Realism notes- Never saw any mortars in mass effect just "biotic artillery" good luck versus a 155 HE but ya know space magic and shit. Good old willy pete will be making a show next chapter oh and the Geneva convention doesn't include aliens.


	6. Chapter 6

Recommendation for Immersion look up on YouTube Rain, Artillery, gunfire for this chapter.

Invasion +5 Hours, Shanxi Capitol

Legionary Saren Arterius had been bogged down alongside what was left of his platoon for the last 3 hours in this unholy city. For three hours they had bled, picked off in groups of three or the occasional sniper taking out leadership. These savages had almost bled the batarians dry by this point as reinforcements had stopped coming from the fleet in orbit, and now his mismatch of Turian Black watch and Batarian raiders awaited their own end in this miserable rain. By his omni tool showing a rough map of the city itself, they had made it 8 city blocks before they had met a brick wall in the form of tracked vehicles and constant barrages. Air superiority had been taken if you could call it that and only after orbital bombardment had taken out any structure higher than 6 stories. There was still the worry of the portable missile teams occasionally taking out transports at the most inopportune moments, but this was war casualties were to be expected. Just not on a scale the same as the krogan rebellions a thousand years ago, a peek at a batarian commanders omni tool had showed 16,000 names in red.

Saren himself had avenged his Turian brothers and sisters though after his first hour on the ground. Sent ahead to scout out a residential office alongside two others he had found a primitive recon team in a stairwell, 10 minutes of CQC later and one turian and 5 primitives lay dead. Getting a look at his foe that had killed so many it almost seemed impossible, chemical propellant weapons, Ballistic vest, and somehow they looked like male asari of all things. Their Digital green fatigues were colored red and the patches on their shoulders showed some planet or another with what he guessed to be numbers underneath.

That battle had been hours ago, when the platoon wasn't cut down to one fourth is normal size and their assault had been going sorta well. Now he was on the defensive, surveying a street in front of an office building. On the other side he knew his enemy was preparing an assault, every hour on the hour another one of their barrages akin to biotic artillery would rain down and kill more men. Twice the LT had ordered scouts to find any breach or way to cross the roadway but both times had ended in the deaths of more turians. One team had only been thought to be wounded, crying out for a medic who under Citadel laws would have been safe to collect he wounded. The medic had been sent out leaning over the downed soldier and had just pulled his medical kit when a sniper turned his head to pink mist alongside the trooper. Fucking savages showed no restraint for anyone on the battlefield, and Saren had done the same in kind. So far his kill count included 3 Primitives, one had been wounded so badly he couldn't bring his arms up for his weapon so Saren had used his rifle butt to silence his cries. Scanning his sector once more Saren picked out the identifying features 100 meters of roadway offered him.

A burned out batarian APC alongside a squad of dead, the two recon teams behind wheeled land vehicles with an overturned truck directly in the middle. The lighting was playing hell with any types of scoped devices and Saren had to rely on is eyes to catch anything possibly moving out their. Checking the time it was one minute to the hour, here we go.

The barrages always started the same at this point, the loud thunderclaps in the distance which after a few seconds turned into the entire building shuddering under their impacts, but this one was different. No massive explosion, no earth shattering, no dust falling upon his sentry nest what in the spirits had they cooked up now?

"This is Sentry 1 to all units impacts on the roof could they be duds?"

"No idea sentry one the is sentry 5 im hearing this hissing, the batarians are all camped on the middle floors so if we have anyhti- Cough, cough, cough wha-, cough- hel- cough!"

"Sentry 5! Sentry 5! Report!"

"FLASH FLASH FLASH ALL UNITS DON MASS EFFECT MASK! CHEMICAL AGENTS DETETCTD ALONG THE ENTIRE FRONT PRPEAPRE FOR ATTACK!"

Moving with utmost quickness saren all but smashed the button on his omni tool allowing the blue grey mass effect field to cover his face under his helmet, rated for just incoming rounds the mask itself was not sealed for orbital insertions. After he finished sealing himself the anger from this entire battle began to boil in is heart. These fucking savages had just broken an untold number of citadel laws, and now the prime of the turian legions was coughing their own lungs out on this spirit forsaken world. Over the sounds of the rain and thunder now came the rumble Saren had associated with the tracked vehicles the primitives used so often.

"Incoming all unit's brace for contact! Hold the line we have just gotten word the 45th Legion alongside the 8th Eclipse Commando battalion will be coming down planeside in one hour hold at all cost!"

Saren spotted them immediately, the green and brown tracked machines. Two variants, one shorter but bigger with a long gun tube he guessed alongside an IFV type launched smoke grenades cutting his view of the entire street. Firing randomly in hopes of hitting something Saren didn't know what had happened until he heard the voices downstairs. Then the gunfire as the first bunkers met the attackers, the curses of the Batarians below, five if he remembered correctly ended with a loud bang and the rustling of fabric with a sick spurting sound. More of the yelling he had heard from the aliens as saren pushed a filing cabinet over for cover weapon facing the doorway into his office. He would take as many of these bastards as he could for his now dying brothers and sisters, screams from all around intermixed with gunfire told him the fate of all those around him. Something slammed into the wall outside, the dust falling to the floor this was it.

In a flash the door was kicked open and Saren opened fire hitting whoever it had been. After pulling the body out of the doorway an alien arm covered in the usual green digital tossed a white container inside. Saren knew it must be a flash grenade had kept his rifle on the door, his visor should polarize if- Had Saren known English he would have recognized the lettering on the outside of said white device. M34 WP or a white phosphorus grenade had been tossed directly in front of the desk and had blanketed the turians arm in the metal oxide burning through the armor and melting his weapon as the turian began screaming. Forgetting the human soldiers now bursting through the doorway Saren began scraping at the white particles burning through his flesh and in a fit of madness began slamming the offending limb into the desk, burning at the joint Saren watched as his own arm burned off and smoldered on the floor trailing white smoke. Before he could respond anymore a rifle butt met his face, the last thoughts before unconscious overtook him, spirits help me.

245th ID HQ Invasion +6

Repelling the alien menace was a lot easier than the movies made it out to be thought Major general Williams. One hour ago after the release of a choking agent on the enemies front line the Blitzkrieg attack by elements of the 2nd Infantry brigade combat team had retaken 6 square city blocks and taken a hell of a lot of prisoners. The AI provided by Captain Bakur callsign Rosa had cracked their language protocols in their little handheld computers and the OSI agent had had a field day with the unending list of prisoners. The four eyed fuckers were "batarians" while the birds "Turians" in some galaxy encompassing empire known as the "Citadel" had been acting upon a law enacted by said citadel to punish any race randomly opening "Mass relays" or the alien device. Why, how, and on what grounds the aliens thought they could invade a random planet he didn't care the problem was it had been a human planet garrisoned by the 245th Martian Infantry division and that came with hell to pay. Combat Operations so far had with a cost of 356 soldiers under his command, mostly members of the cavalry scouts and outer cordon after initial contact alongside a group of sappers caught making a minefield.

The idea to use the chemical weapons had come form Captain bakur after the presidential authorization of WMDs anything was on the table in Williams mind. So far the Loki KER satellites hadn't been needed but were still keeping geosynchronous orbit right above him. Hed moved from the Governors mansion two hours ago to the mobile Tactical command center in the back of a C1A5 Archon command vehicle and had battle mapped the entire engagement so far. The blue magic shit had popped up three times in the past hour and the use of it made Williams question how the entirety of the alien's strategy revolved around the use of weapons, vehicles, and tactics came about to only include this "Eezo".

"Sir, Divarty is reporting 30% stock of shells left do you want them to continue bombardment?"

One of his radio operators reported. Goddam, they had been firing a lot.

"Negative inform Divarty to hold fire until we see if anymore of these assholes who up."

"yes sir."

"What do we have left of Air assets form aviation?"

A Lt colonel from division aviation moved over to his side of the holo table bring up a list with a lot of red Xs over names.

"Sir, all ostriches and Blackfoot gunships are KIA but we've got three reaper UCAVs still operational and flying recon through the city. 2,000 pounds JDAMs have been used four times on frontline commanders and supply depots."

"Good have them move out of the city and find any and all FOBs set up by the aliens I want them dust within the hour, those dropships cant be the only thing offloading all their munitions."

"yes sir, orders away."

"Sir!"

A cherry eyed private was frantically eyeing his screen as a massive ball of radar contacts entered right above the city.

"Holy shit, I've got three hundred of the fuckers entering atmosphere all of the Bird design!"

Reinforcements than, finally this couldn't of been all the aliens had.

"Where are they landing private."

Calm, cool, and collected the green berets had taught him that.

"Main landing zone looks to be the baseball stadium on the southern side of the city, but I've got a quarter breaking off for oh fuck! Their headed to the spaceport sir and what the hell?"

Williams now stared at the same picture as the private, the dropships continued past the spaceport and gunned it toward orbit, what in the fuck where these aliens doing?

"Now why would they-"

"Their everywhere!"

6-5 Infantry Battalion radio net was going haywire the operator set to monitor had pulled his headset out and now the vehicle could hear the frantic screams.

"I've got fucking paratroopers landing all the over how the hell did they get through! Ive got some kind of blue what the fuck! Blue Humans firing on Army engaging!"

"get video feed from the spaceport now!"

Said feed opened right above the table or all to see, the helmet cam of Alpha company's commander showed said blue humans weaving in and out of bird units using that space magic shit to throw balls of, what the fuck? When the balls of whatever struck a group of soldiers in lobbed them into the air floating for the birds to gun them down. They'd landed right among the staging area for civilians and didn't care for any kind of ROE as entire families were gunned down by the blue bitches and their bird allies. Video of this was being broadcasted from the captain's helmet cam as he shot one of the killers in the neck and stitched her friend from torso to shoulder. 6-5 was retaking the initiative but there were still hundreds of the blue bitches all woman for some reason murdering any civilian found.

"I want 4-5th armored on that positions right now, no prisoner's run the fucks under the tracks for all I care get those civilians to safety now!"

"yes sir!"

Callsign War Pig, 4-5th Martian armored inbound to spaceport

Everyone had seen the video now being circulated among all the troops of the 245th. A family of three, huddled under the gaze of some blue alien who looked to be smiling as she brought her weapon on the couple shielding their daughter before pulling the trigger. Vasquez swore the moment he saw it all, swore to everything holy, unholy, or unknown that he would kill every single one of these fucks till the day he died. Every member of his platoon had shared the same sentiment after Red 6 himself had sent the video to every watch in 245th ID. War pig now stood at the front of a column of 25 tanks, a plow at her front pushing abandoned cars out of the way as 4-5th Armored thunder ruined it to the spaceport. It was sickening to see the tracers of red human, and blue alien crisscrossing the skies of the civilian's zone. The people he had sworn to protect now died in droves to the enemy paratroopers and he would avenge them, he would avenge all of them and with every alien he killed he would paint a tally under to avenge the lost. Making sure the .50 on top was loaded with 250 rounds of AP they were within half a mile to the Spaceport, when e spotted his first bitch. She was probably a scout and when he zoomed in he found her eyes as wide as dinner plates, this brought a smile to Vasquez as he depressed the trigger control and let a five round burst tear her body in two. "meant" in the term as designed by the designers for anti-vehicle warfare the .50 caliber rounds when introduced to the Asari body tore limbs and made them airborne.

That's one you fucks.

"Driver faster I don't want to give them any chance to escape!"

"Roger that sir!"

All the tanks had their orders, some would make hardpoints where the civilians could head to for safety while other would drive as fast as possible into the port and find any mother fucker dumb enough to fight 80 tons of Human steel. War pig was of the latter, the spaceport itself house three grounded freighters that had been used to shuttle civilians off planet until the invasion and now the massive births housed the 20,000 civilians of Shanxi. Tents given to them by the army numbered in the hundreds all around and whatever civilians were still live long gone, now all that stood amongst the hundred of now destroyed tents and dead civilians lay the bitches in bright yellow fucking armor? The crosshairs on his remote weapon system found a squad of the fucks huddled behind a USECA Light strike vehicle with the driver still smoldering inside. Firing again the squad turned to meat after ten rounds, Vasquez realigning saw two of them unable to move after being hit.

"Driver, do you see the group I just fired on?"

"yes sir."

"I want them under the treads."

The voice that answered back was one full of joy.

"Right away sir."

Vasquez kept the camera on the two now huddled together the entire time as the tank got closer and closer. Just as he lost sight of them in the cameras field of view, he saw a look of both anguish and extreme fear. The tank didn't even register the ground beef in its tracks.

"Gunner, free to fire on any target of opportunity only use main gun on groups of bitches coax weapons free make them pay."

CODEX

M-118 Fastback IFV-Visually the same as the Braldeys of a hundred or so years earlier, the m118 fastback represents the massive leaps in IFV design and placement in USECA army doctrine. Filling roles such as troop transport, recon, medevac, and command the m118 has become the overall IFV type vehicle of the USECA and USECMC. Mounting a 30MM cannon with a coax M420 alongside Brimstone anti-tank missiles the vehicle is more than capable of transporting an entire squad of solder to and form the battlefield. (From Tom Clancy's end war.)

Light Strike vehicle- With the evolution of modern conflict came the evolution of protection for solider, after the introduction of MRAPs one hundred and fifty years prior the vehicle line has continued service always adapting to its ever-changing environment. With space for four and mounting for M420s, M80 .50 cals, and Mk20 Gls the vehicle can fill and ever-growing list of roles. (Think of the new JLTVs the army just got. Pretty legit might I add.)

AH-100 Blackfoot- Designed in 2110 by Boeing Douglass airframes, the AH-100 is what some would call a updated apache. Following the same visuals save for the same dual thrusters instead of a single rotor the AH-100 can go through atmosphere alongside the ostrich shuttles making it the workhorse of groundside close air support.

(Take an apache, add two thrusters bam Blackfoot.)

Notes- not paratroopers in the sense of the maroon berets of today, more grave belts and shit for short distance jumps for the citadel side. Yah little sadistic this chapter but really not a fan of the snobbish Asari getting away with shit because their going through their puberty being mercs. Let god sort em out under the tracks.


	7. Chapter 7

TFS Might of Palaven, Shanxi Cluster

In one night the 7th legion had sustained 60% casualties, 6035 turians were dead on the garden world below him trying to take one city with combat on scale of the Korgan rebellion hell maybe even the geth rebellions. Admiral Desoals Arterius was ashamed to even hold the title, he should be down their fighting with the legion considering showing bravery on the battlefield might just save his career rather than sitting on this wreck of a dreadnought. They'd gotten word less than an hour ago their absence had been noted by the Navy and en route were an entire fleet and an Asari Mercenary Battalion of all things. One more legion to add to the meat grinder that was the city below, the batarians had been going through the wreckage of the upstarts fleet and had noted not a single trace of element zero so far which wasn't unheard of but extremely odd considering the mass relay In system. The three phantom cruisers had been unseen or unheard from since the initial engagement half a day ago at this point.

Batarians flew picket duty around the entire planet looking for said cruisers and had stationed a flotilla guarding the Mass relay. The salarians must have heard about all this by now, their spies were everywhere and didn't just count those frogs amongst it ranks.

"Sir incoming from the relay IFF confirms TSF 3rd War fleet, incoming transmission form Admiral Tacitus."

The video screen in front of Desolas changed to the view of another Turian admiral, red face paint and the air of superiority gained form commanding an entire war fleet flowed through the video monitor as Desolas eyed his savior, or mess fixer as the Hierarchy saw it.

"Admiral Desolas Arterius, the 3rd War fleet is here to quell these upstarts that you have failed to do so. The 45th Legion accompanied by the 8th Commando Battalion of the Eclipse Private military corporation will take the city and deal with these upstarts, you on the other hand will be joining them."

"Of course, sir, I will ready my gear and await a shuttle."

"Prepare to fight in the battle where you have sent many of your own to die Admiral, the hierarchy Is aware of all and does not look well upon you."

With the last word the transmission cut and Desoalas slumped in his command chair. He would be heading to the surface to fight alongside Batarians of all people, and the remnant of the men he had sent down yesterday. It had been years since he had fought on the ground with the marines and he could still remember the fear of his first battle like it was yesterday. Unlike the conflicts involving small units tactics and the occasional IFV, down their hundreds died by the second and the sky itself rained fire.

1st Platoon B Company 3-13 Martian Infantry Bn Capitol City

Sergeant Zaeed thought he seen it all when it came to these aliens, from their unrelenting infantry charges to that blue magic shit. After seeing the video circulated by 245th HQ he knew only one feeling toward the alien, hatred. Hatred toward a being somehow taking joy in gunning down the unarmed human civilians who had only been in the wrong place at the wrong time, he hoped whoever that blue bitch had been she was either ground beef or meat for the OSI right now. After the airborne attack of two hours ago 4-5th armored and 3-13 Infantry had been tasked with hunting down the rest of the bastards who had conducted the event known to everyone on the ground as the Shanxi massacre.

Numbers in the low hundreds to at the most a thousand had been estimated by an OSI AI tracking their numbers through street cams and the last three reaper UCAVs currently in the air. They'd chased them through the streets like the animals they were, hunted down to the last with M-118 Fastbacks and the M3 Komodo's of the 4-5th. No quarter had been given to the fleeing blue humanoids as the numbers finally came in of how many civilians had died at the spaceport. 5,276 people, that was how many had been massacred by both the blue bitches and the birds. Zaeed was going to make sure he avenged every single person on that field, no matter if it took today, tomorrow, or till the end of this war he would avenge them all. Siting in the crew compartment of a fast back he couldn't do much, the name of the game when chasing these bastards down was mobility and when they finally caught them in their rat hole it would all be over. Division had saved artillery shells and mortars from bombarding the new wave of birds just for wherever these fucks were.

"Contact front, 600 meters down the street I've got FLIR signatures at the upper floors of Shanxi Senior High school I think we've found them."

"All Hitman elements dismount and prepare for assault, Hitman 6 to Killshot set up on the southern side in complex designated Lima 1 rog."

"Roger Hitman 6 Kills hot setting will move to that local."

"Roger hitman leads regroup at Stomper 6 for orders."

That was Zaeeds que to leave his Squad now that his former squad leader had met his demise at the hands of a bird, to head to the M-118 fastback callsign Stomper 6 or the command track for the company of fastbacks his own company rode in. Moving past Fastbacks all unloading troops along the side street two blocks from the high school he found Captain winters, or Hitman 6 already preparing the assault plan with all the platoon and squad leaders. Zaeed being the front vehicles was the last to pull up.

"All right that should be everybody, so we got them. UCAV in the sky flew overhead a minute ago to confirm the last elements of whatever the blue bitches had at the spaceport are holed up in the high school bunkering down all they can. Plan is this, due to their inability to use anti-tank weaponry 4-5th will be deploying their fastbacks to bring us as in the infantry straight up to the doors of the place and bursting right through the front. Doors are about 9 feet tall right into the school gymnasium from their we deploy out the ramps and go room to room clearing out anything and everything we find rog? Any questions?"

Zaeed scanned the crowd of soldiers waiting for a hand to go up when a Lieutenant from 3rd platoon got a questioning look on his face.

"Sir, regarding prisoners-"

"LT you say another word and im going to UCMJ your ass and shoot you for cowardice, no prisoners that's the orders from General Williams himself do I make myself clear."

"Yes sir."

"Good report to your tracks, Callsign Killshot should begin taking out any lookouts they have in minutes after that its our time to shine give em hell hitmen!"

"Hooah!"

Zaeed didn't even notice he had retuned to his track until the hiss of the hydraulics pulled the ramp up and he was staring at his squad. All eight of them were checking over weapons and gear, a box of M9 frag grenades was being passed around as the green throwables found pouches. The whine of the hydro engine puled the vehicle forward as the attack began in earnest. Zaeed felt the thumps of artillery landing upon the high school until the entire vehicle shook as it entered the gymnasium.

"Get the fuck out! GO! GO! GO!"

The ramp dropping into he now crowed Gym Zaeed saw four fatbacks unloading a platoon as his squad fell in behind him for the first door out of the gym. Nothing yet, no bodies. Kicking the first door open he found a hallway dotted by classrooms on each side and would you look at that. Three of the Yellow armored aliens were running away form him down the hallway, one looked back eyes going wide as she brought here weapon to bear. Zaeed didn't giver her or her friends the chance. With a vengeance his squad alongside himself cut don the three. Red blood and gore covering the floor the deed was done in seconds. Moving toward the rhee with sites still ion them Zaeed found one still moving somehow, her heavy armor taking more than five rounds with her arm missing at the elbow. She looked up to Zaeed pleading with her eyes to live, in response she saw the maniacal grin and the barrel of an M5 before her lights went out.

"I want a fire team breaching every classroom we come across, no prisoners, no survivors."

"Yes Sergeant!"

245th ID HQ Shanxi, Spaceport

Rows upon rows of body bags denoted just how many had died here less than five hours ago, thousands of them in rows of a hundred as soldiers moved more bodies by hand into the ever growing square. This is what the alien thought of them, cattle to be slaughtered. Not one more thought Williams, not one goddam more. The alien would remember the day they fucked with humanity, their worlds would burn for this and it would create the biggest patriotic movement the earth had seen since fuck, pearl harbor. Not a single soul would care when they saw body bags meant for adults filed only halfway, with small stuffed animals or a favorite blanket on top. There were brand new orphans as well huddled around the Chaplains available to the division helping and consoling any way they could, M5s right at their side to defend their new flock. Moving back to his command track Williams had to stop tears from rolling down his face at the site of a small child, no more than -6 years old. Red splotches all over her clothes being loaded into a dark green body bag with the USEC symbol imprinted in the rubbery plastic, a weeping mother and father touching their daughter one last time before her face was lost to them forever.

"Captain Bellart!"

The French man poked his head out of the command track, headset still on as he found the General in his view.

"get me Divarty, inform them to load every single Willy pete round they can and have it hit every fucking landing zone, field hospital, and barracks possible right fucking now."

"Oui sir."

They would burn for this, they would all burn.

Recommend Intense city battle 1 hour for this.

Turian 45th Legion Landing Area. Invasion +1 day 4 hours.

Admiral Desolas felt the doors to the dropship open and followed the Turian platoon onto the Garden world his men had called hell. The sounds of constant fighting, the screams and whistles of those air dropped munitions and the cacophony of small arms fire filled his ears as to just what hell sounded like. The dropship had landed alongside 10 others at the makeshift field hospital/landing zone inside a stadium of sorts. Jogging after his platoon they passed the wounded and dying being readied onto the same ships they just left. Glancing over to the stretchers he was aghast at just what had happened to his fellow turians, Limbs missing, gunshot wounds unseen since the Krogan War and by the spirits what the fuck! A turian section, 20 of them with ulcers growing all over where their plates did not connect. The soft tissue underneath filled with boils and the soldiers crying out in pain. That was just the few able to walk, the open bay filed hospital under hastily erected tents showed an even worse picture, hundreds of Batarian, Turian, and five Asari of all things lay in cots covered in white bandaging with limbs missing from dozens. The cries of all the wounded overwhelmed even the gunfire in the distance as he tried to keep up looking away from the grizzly scene of just what modern warfare really was. Used to the quietness of space he had lost site of what the fighting on the ground was like after all these years.

Leaving the scene of organic misery, he found that the locker room for this place had been converted into the briefing area for the reinforcement from the 45th. Standing at the center of an uplifted section stood Lieutenant General Oriania of the 7th.

"Alright listen up, I know many of you have had years of experience fighting pirates along the traverse and a couple of you might have even fought mercenaries or such in your years of service but I will tell you one thing that will save your lives today. Throw all that experience out the airlock because the enemy you will fight today is unlike any we have ever seen. In half a days' time we have suffered over twenty thousand dead form their use of tehcnolgy and air burst munitions, they do not follow any laws regarding war. Chemical weapons, some type of burning agent and a hell of a lot of tracked vehicles alongside explosives have turned the 7th legion into less than a battalion of able bodied troops. The batarians tried their usual slaving techniques thinking we wouldn't notice but when 16,000 of them came back in bags they pulled tail and stopped sending any troops. So now it falls to us the soldiers of the turian Hierarchy to quell these upstarts, keep your head down and remember you are the tip of the spear for the citadel council and the Hierarchy do not fail them. Company and platoon leaders move your units outside the stadium we have need of you on the front."

So that was it? Remember who you are and maybe you'll survive against an enemy sending thousands back. He hoped Saren was ok, they had lost contact with his platoon and right now after hearing and seeing all of this Desolas feared the worst for his younger brother. Leaving the briefing area, they entered a tunnel connecting to a parking lot on the outside, here APCS and all manner of IFVs held troops heading to the front.  
"Admrial Desolas!"

Hearing his name, he turned to the speaker to find a Turian held up by two of his comrades. Something seemed off to the man and it wasn't until he looked down that he found it. Both legs had been blown off at the hips, blood stained bandages stopping the man from dying as he was carted from the vehicles desolas was entering to the field hospital.

"Why Admiral! WHY!"

The man turned into a sobbing mess ad Desolas could only stare, shaking the gaze away he entered the bloodstained troop hold of the vehicle with the rest of his platoon for the front. His feet hit the first rung when the screams of an air raid siren pulled his attention to neyind the stadium walls. Black objects were impacting inside, white smoke began to fill the stdium coming over the side and ontot the troops reading themselves to leave. Turning to his platoon all shared a a look of guessing whatever the fuck had just happened.

"get the fuck back to the stadium! We need to help whoever is their get your mass effect filed mask on it could be chemical!"

Smashing omni tool and taking off at a full sprint Desolas reentered the same tunnel, passed the briefing area and entered the field to find literal hell. The field hospital was ablaze and so was every living thing on the field as the white smoke erupted form everything burning. The dropship he had just stepped off were venting fuel, their passengers still huddled inside afraid to walk out into the fireplace. The screams form the hospital had all been silence at this point, their owners charred meat attached to the melting metal cots. All manner of medical personal, regular soldiers, or walking wounded were punching at themselves, clawing their own plates away. Desolas sprinted to the closest one, laying the man on his back he began to pat at the small fires on the armor and skin hoping in any way shape or form to stop the burning. Nothing stopped except the man as desolas noticed he had died in his arms trying to put out the fires killing him. Looking up from the charring form, the landing zone was lost. Thousands had been here when he had left and now it was all gone. A minute ago, the Hierarchy had spouted how it was their duty to win this war and support the citadel but at seeing this. How did he fight this? A military capable of this and still churning the ever-growing meat grinder that was this city. The citadel had outlawed it hundreds of years ago for use on garden worlds but upon seeing thousands of burned turians Desolas lost all coherent thought. His ship was still loyal to their Admiral no matter what. Pulling up his omni tool he selected just what he needed.

"TSF Might of Palaven, this is Admiral Desolas Arterius."

"TSF Palaven yes admiral?"

"Fire two rounds into the center of the city, finish this place under my orders."

"yes sir, preparing Mass cannon."

Willy Pete- White phosphorus shit burns through anything if you didn't know and the only way to stop it from burning through somebody is cutting the shit out.

So, some notes to the reader, wars fucked yo. Unlike a lot of fanfiction that sugar cotes it with those video games glasses they see it as I'm going to make this story see the darker side of conflict. People die, that's war . Modern war, with no rules towards aliens makes it that much worse for them. Dehumanizes the shit out of them fulfilling what every army ever made could only hope for.


	8. Chapter 8

245th HQ Shanxi, Capitol

The rumble and whine of a dozen tracked vehicles denoted the movement of general Williams and his staff as they convoyed to the Governor's mansion. After the willy Pete attack the aliens forces inside the city had either surrendered or hunkered down allowing the rest of the 245th to retake major sections of the city, Williams overall defensive plan had been going extremely well to the say the least as his C1A5 command track drove past a dozen or so bird corpses shredded by 30MM fire. The prisoner situation had become so bad that proper facilities to house said prisoners was becoming filled to the brim and new areas had to be found for engineers to make housing.

OSI Captain Bakur had found out an entire new legion alongside a "War fleet" had entered orbit after the Batarians had turned tail and left, Leaving thousands of their own in holding pens across the city. Their orbital support showed the remnant of the first Bird fleet had redirected itself over the capitol, their engines repaired and once again mobile.

In one day, Rear Admiral Hackett and the Carrier Battle group he commanded would throw these birds off world allowing humanity to solidify a strong defensive world against the alien menace. A bulwark to stop the tide coming from the only known Mass relay in USEC space.

"Captain Bellart, how goes mop up operations near the stadium?"

"Sir, Bird forces are holding out against sustained armored and infantry assault they seem determined to hold the stadium as it is their main airfield for the city."

"Halt all attacks on the stadium them, divert those troops not needed to hold the cordon to clean up any pockets left behind."

"yes sir, sending orders now."

At least the rain had stopped, never was fun to fight in a torrential downpour.

"Sir, what the fuck INCOMING!"

Looking out the rear camera Williams saw just what was incoming. As if Zeus had materialized on Shanxi and decided to rain his lighting bolts upon the hapless population two yellow shots of light were headed straight for the center of the city. Williams guessed them to be some type of orbital weapons, or the main guns of the ship in orbit but whatever they were striking the center of the city would have disastrous effects for the entire population.

"Order all units hunker down, hunker down!"

The explosion itself was nothing like a kinetic rod strike Williams had gone through at least a dozen times, the feeling was more one of a low yield nuclear weapon being detonated on the ground. Looking toward the center of the city Williams could see the incoming shockwave as his convoy continued toward the governor's mansion, in seconds it was upon them. The rear most fastback was thrown end over end as the rest of the convoy took in the shockwave throwing 20 ton IFVs and the 100-ton commanded vehicle as if they were playthings. Inside he was tightening his harness when the G forces struck, the fabric digging into his armor and throwing his head in every direction possible as he went from feeling the pressure up top to facing the ground. It was over in ten seconds; the command vehicle had been thrown upside down. Officers responsible for division operations who hadn't been strapped in lay dead at mismatched angles, captain Bellart among the dead head wrapped all the way around his body after he had struck the holo table.

Every division radio frequency held the cries of officers calling to find out just what the hell had just happened, cutting his harness and falling to the ceiling/ floor Williams activated the emergency release for the back door, built into the ramp itself. The door opened to the now ash covered hellscape, in the distance Williams could barely make out any structures left standing in the center of the city with a large mushroom cloud slowly rising. The defense of Shanxi had been broken, in one strike Williams had just lost thousands of men. Looking back inside there was only one order to give to the surviving beleaguered defenders of Shanxi.

"Whatever raido operator is alive in there, order all survivors to the governor's mansion. Time for a last stand."

Remnants of 3-13 Martian Infantry Battalion 1 hour after orbital strike

They'd all heard the order over the general net, the birds had launched some type of orbital strike due to their inability to take the city conventionally. Guess he should have seen this coming, thought Sergeant Zaeed. With bloodied noses that bastards had resorted to planet destroyers to finish the job their so-called professionals could not. 3-13 had been in the middle of setting up the outer cordon on the stadium when the twin yellow lights had stuck the center of the city. Nobody knew what I was until every singe bird, four eyes, and surviving blue bitches began the last push to break their encirclement. Thousands of the aliens sprinted out of the stadium into the guns of the 3-13, the battle must have been their last final act in desperation. The four hundred or so soldiers of the 3-13 had used every weapon possible as machine gunners melted barrels, Light strike vehicles began to run over the enemy, and mortar teams took up rifles alongside their brothers in the infantry. After an hour's fight, 3-13 had won the slugfest but only just barley. 80% casualties and now after the generals order to the governor's mansion it seemed impossible.

Separating the survivors and the governor's mansion lay the entire city, the stadium was situated on the southern side and the only safe route to the mansion would be leaving the city proper and flanking all the way around. Looking to the dozens of walking wounded, and those on stretchers Zaeed didn't think it was possible. The only surviving officer, Captain Ivici agreed and had the remnants leaving the city and finding somewhere in the forest and farms outside to hunker down and await the fleet. Zaeed now commanded an entire platoon due to combat losses, with most officers now acting as company commanders it fell upon him to lead the forward elements of 3-13. Leaving the city hadn't been that big of a deal, passing the occasional corpse or burning vehicle it had been smooth sailing until they had approached the last offramp out of the city. A platoon of birds had gotten the same idea, marching in two columns 50 birds were now situated 100 meters to their front. The ash concealed Zaeed and his platoon stealthy creeping in behind.

"Alright you sods, I want machine gunners setting up bipods on some of these cars, auto rifleman do the same. Grenadiers when I give the order, I want all of you to fire at once into their section. Nobody on this side dies today."

Given the order the soldier began to move in position behind cars and rubble overlooking the offramp. To his left one of his machine gunners set up beside him, his assistant gunner loading a 150 round box magazine. Scanning left and right the platoon had set up online facing down the offramp at the birds who were just now leaving their field of vision.

"engage"

Red tracers alongside the thumps of the GLs lit up the ash covered day, through his scope Zaeed could see bodies drop to the ground. Their stings cut and motor function gone the birds acted just like humans when hit by munitions. Shrugging off the surprise from the ambush the survivors two dozen or so fought back the ambush that had just killed half their number. In bounding pairs they counter assaulted attempting to suppress the machine gunners and rifleman currently killing them by the second. With little to no cover it was over in less than minute. 50 fresh corpses lined the off-ramp, venting blue blood all over the human made roadway.

"This is Hitman 6 to Bullseye, off ramp clear we are Charlie mike."

"Roger Hitman, convoy on the move."

8 hours of intense fighting would have broken any man by now, but seeing their brothers and sisters fighting right beside them only one thought kept the troops going. Just one more step.

Shanxi, Capitol

This is my doing.

Looking to the ash covered crater where the center on the city had once been, buildings at the very edge continued to fall in the graveyard that was Desoals Arterius final deed in the battle of Shanxi. After calling in the strike he had broken away from those attempting to recover the dead at the stadium and found the closest hardened structure to bunker down, awaiting his fate. He had heard the tracked vehicles passing by the residential house he had taken up in and looking out the window, the sight of hundreds of the alien soldiers passing by in trucks and IFVs he guessed pulled his head and attention straight to the floor. Then the brightest yellow light he had ever seen lit up the morning sky. The twin shockwaves moved the building on its foundations and Desolas let out a small cry at just how many lives he had just extinguished for the greater good.

That had been an hour ago, he'd left soon after the initial effects had stopped and gone to find his deed. This crater was of his making, spanning a kilometer to two across it would mark him for the rest of his life however long it was, he had taken lives to save more that's all that mattered.

Leaving his shame Desolas had no idea what to do now, he had thought that the orbital strike would have stopped the fighting but now it sounded like it had only gotten more intense from the direction of the stadium. At least the defenders had been broken, coming to the center of the city he had seen plenty of their bodies and vehicles destroyed by the blast, walking for a minute or two outside of the crater the body of an asari entered his view on the ash covered street. Kneeling down in front of her, Desolas found the mark of eclipse on her now grey stained armor, rubbing the ash off her chest he found her name.

ARLIZE MIRE

Her legs and one arm had been blown off, leaving the massive amount of coagulated blood to pool around her. In death the white marks on her face could be seen scrunched up in obvious pain, what had she done to deserve this? What had any of them done to fulfill the laws of backwards politicians who had no idea what enacting those laws would make people do. Nothing could help the dead girl now; she was still young for her kind probably a maiden wanting to see the universe. She found that universe on some random garden world facing the most war ready race Desolas had ever seen. Well Arlize Mire, may you find peace in death away from this shattered world.

Desolas continued his journey to somewhere, where he did not know he just kept walking. He thrown his weapon away into the crater and after a while the thought of being defenseless might not have been a good idea but there was nothing he could do now. He had passed more Asari and Turian bodies on this street than any other, by the signs of blackened structures and still burning vehicles he had to guess this must have been one major engagement. With a frontline marked by a barricade of the alien's land vehicles Desoals found the other side of the coin to be nonexistent. Save of the occasional blood spot or the discarded piece of equipment the aliens who had fight this battle had gotten off scot free. How gave desolas quite the question until he used his feet to shove some of the ash away and the track marks in the asphalt came clear. Where to go now, he had no idea. If he went to the Hierarchy he would be tried for war crimes, his family shamed and he executed.

Maybe, if he were to find the aliens he had heard of how some less than honorable Turians had surrendered and never heard form again maybe he could even see Saren, yes that seems like the idea. Moving with purpose the former Turian Admiral left behind the former battle zone.

Citadel, Council Chambers 3 hours after orbital strike

Councilor Tevos of the Asari republic was annoyed at what her compatriots had done, a day ago the Turian Hiarchary had seen fit to invade a sovereign world after losing an entire patrol fleet to the newcomers. This just would not do if the Council wanted these hopefully new members to shrug off their warful ways which had blunted the finest the citadel military offered. Shed seen the STG report detailing how even an Asari Commando battalion had been hunted to the last right after conducting an airborne landing. Why and how they had killed over 700 commandos Tevos would never know but the point that they had slightly angered her, but this was of course the Turians fault for attacking in the first place without sending out a warning or first contact package.

Of course they would, a thousand years of peace and they requisition the Batarians to take the place only ending up with several thousand body bags. Then if that wasn't enough, three hours ago the original admiral who had commanded the Patrol fleet had ordered his Dreadnought to fire on the only city planet side killing any chance of ever meeting these upstarts. The mobilization of an entire war fleet hadn't gone unnoticed by the citadel and when question came out pertaining to why how and when the story broke. Thankfully the media hadn't gotten a hold of it yet or the entire council would have to be resign at the very moment for having their esteemed peacekeepers break the laws they made. All was not lost, this could be rebuilt the dialogue could be opened and the this small skirmish could come to an end welcoming a new client race into the fold with their one planet.

"So councilor Tevos, what is your opinion on the matter concerning the relay 314 incident?"

The Salarian councilor always had a way of making the problems of today seem none to bad with words like "incident", "Event", or her best "Mishap".

"Councilors it is in my opinion as the senior of the council hat the Turian Hierarchy had created and ever-growing problem in the unknown region that is relay 314. Furthermore, due to the inability of the Turian councilor to disclose just what his fleets had been doing I believe a resignation is in order to quell any misgivings by this new race and to show we are not murderers."

The turian in question, went wide eyed mandibles spread in a face of shock.

"This, this is not my fault Tevos this is the inability of certain admirals under Hierarchy command, this is nothing but a coup on your part to fill this seat with someone more willing to your ideas!"

"Councilor, your fleets reported this event over 12 hours ago per STG records, you did not disclose a single thing in any of these meetings. I will be dispatching a ambassador form the Asari republics to actually deal with this situation rather than just pointing guns at our hopeful new neighbors. How well that meeting goes depends upon your resignation councilor when it is broadcasted to them."

The look of defeat spread across the old Turians face; he had served for twenty eras now as one of the three most powerful in the galaxy. Only to be forced to resign after a fuckup by one of his Admirals, he was getting old now someone with a little more fire in their blood could take his place. General Sparatus had held the charge on the 314 world and had shown great tactical kill in overcoming the enemy if the reports were correct. If he were still alive a recommendation to the primarch could fill the void.

"Then today, I Hobus Aberlin of the colony of Menae formally resign from this council due to actions committed by the Admirals of the Turian Hierarchy."

Standing up form his chair the old turian left the Salarian and Asari councilors to go over just how they were going to resolve this situation.

"STG reports suggest this not to be home world of people, response could already be on the way to throw off Turian fleet. Recommend we expedite any response now before this becomes something we cannot control."

"I concur, the Asari republics will dispatch a diplomatic ship broadcasting on all channels for peace. They should arrive in three days to end this bloodshed the incompetence of these officers has laid upon us."

USS Halsey SFF-1104, Shanxi cluster

Commander Mike Reynolds could barely contain himself at seeing the ever-growing mushroom cloud covering the atmosphere of this human world. How many of not just the 245th but whatever was left of the civilian population had just died in such a brazen attack he did not know, they would pay for this as his AI sent every single scrap of intel the Seals had found off the alien vessel deciphered and decrypted to FLEETCOM. The live feed from the planet hadn't stopped and orders had been to wait and observe till the Carrier battle group could arrive and show these aliens just what happened when you nuked humanity.

Every single sailor and marine was chomping at the bit to start throwing nuclear ordnance and the MAC slugs to rip every single ship apart in this abysmal fleet but it would only end int heir own deaths without the support of the battlegroup. So now they waited, like a submarine wolfpack of a hundred years ago stalking their prey for the right moment to strike.

**Note**\- I'm not good at political stuff, so this is my first attempt.


	9. Chapter 9

Shanxi Governor's mansion, Remnants of 245th ID

General Williams and what were left of the 245th Martian Infantry Division had created an in-depth defense surrounding the former governor's mansion. The reports had been bleak to who and what exactly had survived eight hours on continues fighting, alongside the orbital strike that had skewered the once beautiful city. His new XO Captain Collins, a British man from the colony of new Manheim was out collecting information from leftover company, battalion, and brigade commanders to catalog all they had for one last ditch defense. Shoveling out a trench line alongside soldiers of the 4-5th Armored whose tracks had been destroyed in the fighting. The mansion itself covered a square acre of ground in a hilltop overlooking the entire city, or what was left of it. Hours ago, Williams had been right here briefing the governor on how he would defend the colony from any alien threat and seeing that not a single skyscraper was stills standing he found himself thinking he had failed.

The gardens which had surrounded the mansion went out to 500 meters of open space, perfect for machine gunners and mortarmen currently setting up range markers in the future Killzone. Two M5 Komodo's had appeared half an hour ago with wounded covering their hulls, low on ammo but high on spirit the crews had begun using plows to dig tank bunkers overlooking the main driveway. William spotted the words "WAR PIG" on the barrel and knew it was more tracks of the 4-5th Martian armored, a LT Vasquez who had been more that adamant hunting down the last of the "Asari".

"General Williams sir."

"Captain Collins."

Thrusting the shovel into the dirt, Williams left the trench and began walking toward the main housing structure with Collins in tow.

"So what do we have, and don't leave out any details."

"Well sir the situation is bleak to say the least."

Pulling up his watch, names and numbers crossed the screen more in red than anything else.

"Aviation is gone, 2nd brigade is gone, 1st brigade has suffered 80% casualties with 3-13 Infantry on the opposite side of the city and no way to regroup were looking at around 300 soldiers to defend the mansion. Two Komodo tanks from the 4-5th and a single Fastback form 6-9 Cavalry make up all armored assets, alongside them we have a dozen static .50 cals."

Enough to make it a Killzone, but not enough to hold out for long.

"alright order all units to continue to prepare the defense, consolidate survivors into 2 companies 1st and 2nd and get me Captain Zhrasen."

"Yes sir, ill send him your way."

Entering the former governor's office, the holo table now had a direct birds eye view of the Mansion itself showing all USECA positions. If you were to take a topographical map of the hill itself the trench lines would look exactly like the contour lines. Spread out by 50 meters between three lines of trenches, engineers had placed minefields of AP and AT to slow the attacker down allowing the defenders to fallback when needed. 50 Cal emplacements were all located in the closest trench or in the building set up in overlapping fields of fire. All in all, two companies alongside the three armored vehicles would put up a hell of a defense and if all was lost, the reason Captain Zhrasen was coming to meet Williams would be used speaking of.

"Sir, you called for me?"

The deep Russian accent of the man holding the keys to WMDs was almost comical if the situation didn't show just how bleak it had become.

"Captain, I want LOKI deployed directly over the mansion and the city itself. Total war strategy if humanity can't have it these aliens sure as hell won't, I want those rods on standby for when and if I give the order do I make myself clear."

"Crystal sir, ill get the box ready."

At the tactical level the LOKI rods were a godsend in situations like this but used to early and he would show his hand and allow the enemy to decipher just what the tube-shaped satellites were. His thoughts were cut off by a long drawn out burst of automatic fire in the direction of the main road.

"The end has begun."

Shanxi, 45th Legion 6th Battalion

Canibia Adraril was a Cabal, and a dammed good one at that. The rare biotic Turian had trained for years to become an expert vanguard in her unit rising above her peers in the eyes of her officers. Assignment to the 45th Legion had been a dream come true following it around in her years of military service and ending the pirate scourge in the traverse. After the transfer to the Batarian zones and subsequent deployment here she had thought it would be another peacekeeping mission like the dozens before it. How wrong she had been as right after getting off the dropship for the first time, she had seen an entire turian platoon wiped out before her eyes.

42 men and woman cut to pieces as some kind of explosive projectile cannon from one of those dammed tracked vehicles had shot shell after shell, using the coax on any survivors. She had attempted at using her biotic at lifting the vehicle and throwing it or even hitting it with a warp but whenever she popped her head up the red tracers followed her. Only when she had called in two gunships did the vehicle finally die and she got a look at her enemy, fleshy, wearing cloth uniforms with an armored vest and helmet the male by the looks of it had thrown the hatch open and left the burning vehicle. Lining up her scope she saw the burns to the man face and hands as he attempted to grab the pistol form his vest, she pulled the trigger and sent the sand grain sized bullet into the mans red face. The pink mist associated with killing creatures of the red bloodied variety filled her scope, she thought they joy of ending the threat would help but only an emptiness filled her as the light left the living beings eyes.

Now hours after her legion had successfully landed and after the spirits dammed MAC strike on the city were they finally ending this. The entire legion alongside whatever had survived followed the alien survivors to some type of large structure at the edge of the city, most likely the governors or something and were now poised to strike. 15,000 or so Batarian, Turian, and a dozen or so Asari surrounded the place with the goal of finishing this upstart race before it could plague the stars anymore, in her mind too many turians had already died for this shithole.

Alongside a hastily put together platoon her alongside biotic Batarians, and other turians would lead the first strike against the bunkers leading into the main road. Fly overs by gunship had made a simple map out of the defenses before them, two bunkers surrounded by a barbed wire and an emplace weapon on a tripod. How archaic, the projectile weapons of these pond scum ignored their shields making the Citadel soldier entirely dependent on their armor. The platoon had closed to within 200 meters of the bunkers dug into he dirt with only firing slit in each marking where the possible defenders could be. Scanning to her left 2nd squad was now crawling on their bellies as the trees along their side of the road were sparse compared to hers. She watched a Batarian close to within 150 meters when he suddenly stopped all movement. His Turian Squad leader could be heard over the net asking why he had stopped and in getting no response she crawled alongside him to find the problem. The glow of her omntiool appeared on her arm as she sent a tech attack at whatever object held both their attention, turning back to the rest of her squad she gave a talon up when red tracers cut through her and her batarian squad mates body. Then the world itself turned to fire, in seconds Caniba's squad was entirely engaged by the bunker on their side of the road with the tripod mounted weapon.

She threw warp after warp at the hardened structure in the hope of shredding it apart to get to the occupants inside. Turian after turian went down in doing the same, the weapon never ending its swinging arcs of death across the battlefield. Seeing the little to no effect of her warp she grabbed her radio to get any kind of support.

"This is Talon! Enemy bunkers have outed us send the armor now or were done for!"

"Roger Talon, Killbox is moving now hold out for the APCs to arrive talon!"

She heard the last words as the red tracers now went above her head, ripping the meager tree cover apart with her screaming behind it. The cracks of high velocity projectiles going within inches of her head as she felt the tree itself disintegrate overcame her already tired body. Huddling to get as small as possible a thumping sound reverberated in the Woodline, two of her squamates disappeared in a flash of red-hot metal, pinned down behind the tree she could only watch as the Turians bled out. The only saving grace to her nerve raddled brain was the sound of Mass effect engines thundering down the roadway and the hyper sonic cracks of cannon fire obliterating the bunkers. Looking to the rear, 8 IFVs of Kill box screamed past her headed for the Mansion oblivious to the dead and dying on either side of the road. With stealth now out of the picture the attack began in earnest, 15,000 men and women would end this in one way or another.

"WAR PIG" Shanxi, Governor's mansion

8 Shells made up the entire APFSDS stock of WAR PIG, 16 HEDP and a single willy pete ended the carousels total ammo count. 1500 rounds of 6.8MM coax and the 200 rounds for the .50 were all that made WAR PIG still viable for combat against the alien menace. LT Vasquez was more than happy to oblige the alien in their ill-fated attacks now happening across the entire defensive line. So far dozens had already fell to his hand as his Remote weapon system scanned the battlefield, its deadly crosshairs snapping up targets of opportunity as the former flower covered fields now sang the songs of death and destruction. Twice the enemy had tried using their shitty IFVs to breach the line and twice WAR PIG alongside its sister WAR THUNDER had held the line. AT was sparse in the crunchies arsenal so it fell upon the great tanks of the Martian 4-5th to rule the battle through armor and tungsten.

A Bird filled his view, missing half a leg and attempting to rap a white bandage around himself he had stayed hidden behind the bodies of a dozen of his kind. That would not do for Vasquez, sending five into the mass of flesh the tungsten 50 caliber rounds meant for armored vehicles made short work of the living and dead.

"Sir, we got aircraft incoming! Missile teams report their all out its up to you and the RWS!"

His driver sticking out of the hatch and firing his M5 screamed down into the turrent. Moving his sight to they skies he found the low flying birds of prey type gunships rolling in hard from the north, it nose pointed directly at him. Filling the air with as much AA fire as possible the craft closed with the tank in seconds, sonic boom going off over the tank two black objects left the craft and exploded among the infantry at the first trench line. The trench line and accompanying bunkers ceased to exist in the 1,000 kilograms of explosive turned the Mansion gate to a crater. The shockwave killed the RWS electronics and left Vasquez resorting to firing out of the hatch alongside the driver. Pulling his M5 out of its carrying handle he threw it out of the open hatch and climbed onto his seat, only allowing his body to reveal his shoulders up he got a view of that battlefield in though his own eyes.

Thousands of birds filled the mud-covered fields in heaps of bodies, burning APCs, and attackers. The yellow tracers of their weapons filled the air in a battle against the red of the human made weapons. WAR PIGs turret traversed to a group of birds attempting to leave the tree line 500 meters away and the resounding fireball and spray of body parts told Vasquez his gunner was still in the fight. Vasquez fired round after round into the hoard of targets, only stopping to reload when that blue magic shit once again filled his view. It was two of the blue bitches, they had themselves a shield like the one he had seen a bird make yesterday covering at least a hundred of the birds sprinting for the first trench line.

"Gunner bearing 357 bitches with a shield rushing for the trench line!"

"Can't identify Loading HEDP!"

"It's a big blue fucking shield how can you not see it fuck it!"

Jumping back into his Seat and initiating the commander override Vasquez put his sites on the shield, the first two dozen or so birds were already in the trench when the firing mechanism recoiled and the shield popped alongside their creators. Turning off the override Vasquez popped back into the hatch, firing his M5 until its barrel was red it was obvious the first trench line had already fallen. Soldiers were falling back, attempting to cover their buddies doing the same but were cut down in their sprints to the second line. The birds were right behind, stepping into the carefully prepare minefield the underground munitions detonated as squads, teams, and platoons ceased to exist.

Looking to the .50 in the trench directly to his front, Vasquez saw that the barrels had literally melted off form being fired so much and their gunners had resorted to their M5s. 15 minutes of combat and the line had broken once, it had two more chances and this would all be over. The sounds of jet engines broke his concentration as Lt Vasquez saw the white contrails of the disruptor missile hit the turret ring and send WAR PIGs turret and it crew skyward.

245th ID HQ

20 minutes and it was over, they had killed thousands, but the tide of meat and metal had broken through. All rounds expended, barrels melted due to firing, every trick possible had been used to slow the attackers form reaching the mansion itself. Now Major General Williams of the 245th Martian Infantry division was left with a single choice. The vital signatures of every soldier who had been outside the place had gone offline in the red, the doors had claymores pointed at every entrance waiting for the bird fucks to breach. Readying his M5 alongside the Division staff they were now the last defenders of Shanxi. The wounded now held their personal weapons waiting for the attackers to finally end their lives in the defense of Earth. 31 People not counting the remnants were all that stood left of the ten thousand to make planetfall days ago, not even counting the twenty thousand or so who had been trapped at the spaceport. The only true survivors of today if they made it far enough from the city proper would be whatever was left of the 3-13. He could hear the chirping voices of the birds he had come to know for the past day through the sandbag covered windows, no doubt officers and NCOs preparing their men for one last attack for the glory of their citadel. Surrender was out of the question; he would die alongside the men willing to die beside him in defense of the USEC, how he died would be up to him though.

The building itself wasn't very big, an initial hallway leading to the center room with the office surrounded by the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom in a circular formation made up the entire house. Wherever the birds breached all would be able to respond from several avenues to maximize enemy casualties. Williams noted the quietness of the moment inside at least, no yelling, no radios going off with the screams of men. Just the occasional whimper from the heavily wounded just the silence. He thought of his daughter on mars pregnant with his grandchild, hopefully her and her husband would do well with the money from his death. He didn't have anyone else, the noise subsided from outside. Williams looked to captain Zhrasen holding the dark gray box already opened with the targeting coordinates locked in, awaiting the key from his voice to activate humanities WMDs from space.

The cracking of wood alerted them all to their demise, a blue aura covered the half foot thick wooden doors as they burst outward toward the blue magic shit user. A female bird held a shield covering the now open doorway as a squad of even more birds came in behind it. Human M5s began firing as the impacts had a noticeable effect on the shield maker, Williams waited until she dropped it before pumping semi-automatic fire into the breaching forces. Turian soldiers who had taken cover before the shield broke now traded shots point blank with the USECA soldiers. Tungsten traded with small grains of sand as blue and red blood coated the painted walls. Williams chucked an M9 frag down the hallway as another squad entered only to be blown to pieces as fragments turned the failed breach into mush. Hearing the same wood snapping sound behind Williams turned to face the rear door as the birds breached with the same shield tactic. Rather than throwing the next frag Williams rolled in right next to the shield, allowing it to pop as he saw the face of amazing on a bird before dumping four rounds into chest. The sandbag fortifications making up the door less governor's office held the only cover as men went down with shattered armor and burst heads. Looking around the last stand Williams counted 7 left. 5 walking wounded, Collins and Zhrasen. They could hear the birds approaching, their three-pronged feet pounding the marble floor slick with blood. Looking around their new round table Williams met the eyes of 7 men who knew the gig was up. All had the telltale pockmarks of being hit by the alien weapons, not even one held any additional magazine in their vest.

"Captain Zhrasen, authorization code Alpha Sierra Hotel."

"Authorization codes accepted sir, it's been an honor."

"For the 245th Gentlemen."

With a nod all eight survivors sprang up out of the sandbag wall and met their fate.

Shanxi orbit

LOKI Satellite designation 88-912 received the confirmation orders an instant after verification. With coordinates locked in and targeting clarified 8 Depleted uranium rods were released from their locking ports on three satellites looking down upon the ash covered skies of Shanxi, rocket boosters ignited as the 24 feet long rods from god accelerated out of their holding cells and entered the atmosphere, appearing as meteors the celebrating troops of the turian legion saw the red elongated shapes approaching and questioned just what it could be. Some tried running, jumping into the closest shuttle or APCs to drive or fly as fast as they could away. Other dropped their weapons, broken at the thought that after so much fighting, so much loss in the end none of it mattered. 24 Rods impacted the planet, sending shockwaves comparable to the Tsar bomb of 200 years ago, every living thing within 22 miles of the Capital of Shanxi was turned into fire.

High above Shanxi overlooking what was supposed to be a victory, Saren Arterius screamed at the window as the city was turned into a sea of red fire. His brother's folly they had already started calling it had turned into the Hierarchy s nightmare. The Arterius name would be shamed till the end of time and he would bear the brunt of it.

**CODEX**

Crunchies- the tracked vehicles crewman's slang for the infantry. The crunch of the body going under the tracks is where the name comes from.

Note- and so ends the story of the 245th


	10. Chapter 10

OSI SIT REPORT  
CLASSIFICATION TOP SECRET G18 EYES OR HIGHER ONLY

SUBJECT: SHANXI RETAKEN

TO: EAGLE 6

Shanxi has officially been retaken from the alien threat that had left the device now classified as a "Mass relay" in system. Device is confirmed to be FTL type capable of traversing hundreds of light years in seconds to minutes depending on distance, Alien fleet numbering in two dozen exited Relay ten days ago and began assault on colony world Shanxi. 245th Martian ID defended planet successfully for 15 hours before usage of WMDs classified as LOKI used as last resort by 245th Commanding officer. MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAMS. 245th Casualties stand at 95% alongside 20,000 civilians who had been unable to get off world before Alien invasion.

Aliens found planeside- **All information found by Seal Team 64 attached**.

Turian- Military of extragalactic entity named Citadel, Peacekeepers, Military strong arm on lesser races.

Asari- Mediators, long living diplomats, sexual bridge into new races the Asari act as the unofficial heads of all thing's diplomacy. This office recommends not allowing a single Asari into USEC space.

Batarian-Slavers allowed by Citadel law to conduct slavery under cultural heritage clause. SEE ATTACHED OPERATION PLANET SHAKER

Aliens included in "Codex" not found planeside.

Krogan- Warlike Lizard race, biologically destroyed by salarians 1 thousand years ago. Possible allies if total war with citadel, recommend diplomatic approach with large military group on standby to dissuade hostilities.

Salarian- Spies of Citadel council, member of big three. Known for black ops, spy rings, Preemptive strikes.

Quarian- Nomadic people kicked off home world due to rebellion by synthetic race. Note possible fleet size of 50,000 unconfirmed.

Client/Lesser races INCLUDED IN ATTACHED FILE

Conclusion.

Rear Admiral Hackett alongside USS YORKTOWN battlegroup has successfully destroyed alien fleet numbered at 100 in orbit of Shanxi. No ship tonnage larger than heavy cruiser class identified, OSI investigating shipwrecks at this time. Excess of 15,000 prisoners of all three invading races now held on Shanxi guarded by 19th MEU alongside survivors of the 3-13 Martian Infantry battalion. SEE ATTACHED VIDEO. Carrier battle groups CV-17,CV- 21, and CV-23 will arrive in system to act as blocking force in three earth days' time alongside 8 Corp of USECA numbering at 2.3 million.

SIGNED

DRAIDEN VASUK

OSI DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

FOR EARTH AND ALL HER COLONIES

President Tyce Rowlands read the report again to confirm the numbers, 30,000 human being's military and civilian had died on Shanxi. 95% casualties for one division against a horde of aliens and they had held out for almost a day. The discovery of even more races than once thought was a wakeup call and finding out they were all united put a fire under himself and the joint chiefs to prepare. This fringe colony would now be turned into a defensive world, ODPs, Carrier battle groups, entire Corp of USECA were being sent to create the bulwark of humanity. The OSI had known there was extraterrestrial life for months now, after the discovery of the device OSI stealth frigates had found its intended delivery point. A listening station of sorts with a single life form surrounded by even more of the FTL devices told the OSI that humanity had been under surveillance, for how long nobody knew.

The public still did not have knowledge of the event and would not for some time, the colonists taken off planet were now successfully integrating into a neighboring cluster with government paychecks lining their pockets. The governor had been a nuisance at first but after seeing the first pictures the OSI could receive he had gone quiet. The images still clouded his mind, hundreds if not thousands of aliens landing at formally human places of commerce and business. Drone footage of an entire baseball stadium ablaze with hundreds of life forms burning to death and then the image of body bags. Thousands of them laid out in clean rows after the massacre by what the soldiers on the ground had termed the "Blue bitches". The attached videos had shown just how the soldiers had dealt with the Asari, running under treads, bayonets to the wounded, any and all ways to kill those who had slain the defenseless and Tyce did not see a single problem.

He knew what it felt like to see those before you murdered, in his service some 60 years ago in the beginning of the USEC. He had served on the Asian front against the Chinese and seen the mass graves when they had entered the reconquered territories. The mind of the solider didn't change, be it his own or aliens and it would probably go worse for the aliens. You didn't have to dehumanize the enemy when they didn't even look like you. Now the joint chiefs, civilian specialist, and humanities best diplomats argued around the round table that was humanities leaders as to how far their response would go.

"Mr. President we must have only one response to this act of aggression. The OSI, Navy, and the rest of the joint chiefs agree if the alien is willing to go this far in exterminating humanity, we shall show them no quarter."

Army General William Allen, Currently the head of the joint chiefs now stood up from his chair moving to the holo display controls at the end of the table.

"To stop any and all alien aggression we have expedited construction of a new weapon we have codenamed ODIN."

Tyce knew of the project classified as ODIN, a quarter of the navy's budget had gone into whatever blackness summarized its construction. Projects like this weren't new, every sitting president had operations happen under them that they would never learn about. ODIN was just the latest in a long line of black projects Tyce was just now learning about due to possible imminent invasion.

"ODIN is a planet cracker, devised during the first colonial war to deal with planets to far gone under rebel control it was deemed viable to just rid ourselves of them. Once the OSI gets its teeth into it the project grew tenfold to what is it today."

The image of a space station 10 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide appeared for the entire cabinet to see. Changing to various schematics, crew status, and fleet displacement, one note caught his eye.

"So this weapon the Navy, OSI, and every head of joint chief for the past twenty years throws what is in essence a super nuke tipped rod into the planets crust and cracks its tectonic plates shattering it all to hell?"

"Perfect summary sir."

"And where would the military like to send this planet cracking weapon? We have all the home worlds, but I imagine hitting one of the big three would only add more fighters to their cause."

Changing the display again general Westmorland brought up a display of the now fully mapped universe with citadel space in red, USEC blue, and the terminus green. A strip of citadel space directly on the border of USEC changed to brown and the word Batarian highlighted itself.

"The AIs of all three have concluded the best that a major war right now would end in billions of dead in an ever-growing campaign of extermination if said war continued to exist. You want to put out an oil fire sir you set off a bigger explosion next to it, Sucks away all the oxygen snuffs out the flame. ODIN will destabilize the batarian hegemony creating an even bigger crisis for the citadel races, with the ensuing chaos they will have to sue for peace or fight a war on three fronts they cannot handle. USEC, the terminus systems, and the future Batarian civil war would swallow to many resources and cripple their empire."

"What is your plan to destabilize an empire that holds a hundred planets in its fist general?"

Zooming in on the map a single planet became highlighted the word Kar'Shan.

"The economic, military, and cultural center of the Batarian hegemony host the leadership responsible for overseeing it all. From what OSI analyst have deciphered from the codex so far the nation itself is akin to old earth north Korea. Brazen lies of military strength alongside a slave driven economy fuel this nightmare of a somehow galaxy accepted society. With the destruction of all upper leadership the country will fall apart into a multi front civil war and allow a fire to burn the citadels side."

"Kill a billion to save a trillion, that's the logic were going with here?"

In the eyes of the USEC people defeating the alien and making them sue for peace would boost his ratings to astronomical levels. The USEC would stay secure and Tyce would definitely win he reelection.

"General, you are to proceed with planet shaker. Show these slavers why you don't fuck with Humanity."

"Yes sir."

Martian shipyards, Sol system

If you would have told the average human a hundred years ago mars would be green in decades they would have laughed. Now the formerly red planet housed the most important shipyards, production facilities, and military training centers vital to any war effort the USEC military put out. If the casual observer looked it would appear the planet had grown a ring stretching half the circumference of the planet, the artificial ring housed the largest human shipyards in space. Thousands of top of the line civilian and military vessels left the yards every year, ranging from the 4.5 kilometer super carriers to 250 meter corvettes. A Carrier battle group was on station 365 days of the year protecting one of earths most vital assets.

In a section marked restricted the primary locking mechanisms began to disengage. Hidden before the billions of Martian citizens a new star shown in the night sky. 10 kilometers form bottom to top the star shaped satellite slipped its mooring to mars and accelerated under its own power to slip space distance. MAC cannons, 50MM CIWS, and nuclear tipped ballistic missiles dotted the massive structure as it opened a wormhole and entered slip space, destination Kar'shan.

Relay 314, Citadel Space

Matriarch benezia could not believe her ears at the stupidity of the turian admiral before her.

"I have express orders from the citadel council itself to pass through the relay and allow peace negotiations to begin."

"I cannot allow you to pass without proper escort, the 35th, 23rd, and 7th fleets will arrive in a week I will not allow your diplomatic shuttle to pass before proper security has been achieved."

"is this because of the tens of thousands of dead turians on the other side of the relay admiral?"

Mandibles flaring in anger the admiral could only stare at the woman who knew she was right, the turian navy had just had it biggest loss since the korgan rebellions, but nobyd past this relay knew that.

"The whereabouts of admiral Tacitus and the 3rd war fleet are still unknown matriarch, due to the communication blackout we will wait for reinforcements."

That all but confirmed it for Benezia, these newcomers had defeated the cream of the turian navy. If they could do that, they would be better to serve the asari than the birds, she would see to that. If the Turians must be replaced than these would do.

Kar'shan, Local cluster relay

Newly promoted Admiral balak of the batarian hegemony could not of had a more stellar day. Today he would attend his ceremony making him the newest commander of the Kar'shan defense fleet. After two decades of service in the terminus collecting "Cargo" for the nation he was finally rewarded with the prestigious command of Kar'shans defense fleet. His wife and son were already planet side for the ceremony with his command, the dreadnought BRF Glorious salvation orbiting right above the stands. All the capitol would come for such a ceremony befitting of the hegemony's youngest admiral to date. Rising from his seat in the small frigate designated as his personal taxi he made his way to the glass window to take in the view of kar'shan. The brown planet lit up on the dark side with great seas of light denoting cities, factories, and living areas. If he squinted just enough, he could see the thousands of craft exiting and entering the capital of an interstellar empire. The Defense fleet itself contained two dreadnoughts, four dozen cruisers, and at least a hundred frigates. Quite the command for the once terminus slaver turned esteemed admiral.

Those whelps called the citadel council had been made aware of his dealings of course. The STG had always kept a file and would know the newly minted admiral was nothing but a pirate slaver, just like all the "Official" craft in the terminus. That was all in the past though as he looked upon the planet with a smile. After ten years he would probably retire, go write a book or something.

"Sir, I've got odd reading coming from he moon were passing now."

The captain of the vessel one Dralak Vesage had worked alongside Balak for years. Reliable, smart, all the good qualities of a smart captain, the man looked over the amounts of radiation coming from the moon.

"Get the local satellites to take a look and send me any image found."

"Redirecting satellites now sir, broadcasting image to main screen."

Lighting up for the entire bridge to see the shaky image of a satellite turning its focus from filled the bridge. All was usual, the white dwarf planet rotating on its axis with the pockmarks of craters scattered around. Dralak was about to signal the sensor operator to stop the broadcast when balak saw something.

"Hold frame now, look at the edge of the moon do you see that?"

Dralak now focusing all four eyes on the edge of the moon saw, whatever it was. A wing of sorts, no a star was coming out form behind the moon. The structure, space station, whatever it was had left the moon entirely giving a view of an artificial star to the entire crew.

"Well, what is it?"

"Some kind of space station sir, I am getting propulsion from the craft but no element zero to speak of. Whatever it is does not use Eezo and just suddenly appeared behind the moon sir."

"Well they are encroaching on batarian space, and if they are dumb enough to do that they are dumb enough to be boarded signal the defense fleet."

Balak kept two eyes on the object now pointed directly at the planet, 5 points of s star making up its wing the center of the object began to turn. 10 kilometers, no ship in citadel space was that big why the hell would anyone build something that big? He had no idea as the radio operator sent orders to the defense fleet to board and seize the massive object.

"Object leaving the station! Its accelerating for the planet! Readings show it to be….. 1 kilometer, sir if that impacts the planet…."

"Sensor operator calm yourself! Captain we must send a craft to interdict that object!"

"I'm radioing the glorious salvation now hopefully any kind of anti-fighter guns they have can knock it out space!"

Balak was helpless, his peoples defender and he could do nothing as he watched the kilometer long object continue its decent toward the planet. Estimated time to impact was 3 minutes, Captain Dralak was screaming at anyone who could receive his instructions. The high minister alongside the Batarian brass were boarding shuttles but this took time they did not have. 1 minute to impact the glorious salvation began firing its mass accelerators at the object, missing as it gained velocity entering the atmosphere. As a last line of defense the Glorious salvation put its body in the kilometer long rods flight path desperation kicking in. The kilometer-long dreadnought pushed all power to kinetic shields, bracing Balak watch the rod skewer the ship in a ball of fire and metal, continuing on to the planet below. The loss of his future command didn't even cross Balaks mind at seeing the last ten seconds of time till impact.

The object hit to the west of a major city in one of the great deserts of Kar'shan. The entire crew of the frigate was now watching for any sign of just what the phantom object had done, forgetting the space station which had suddenly left their sensors in a sea of radiation.

"Was that it? Throw some random rod of metal and expect…"

Ending the unknown crewman's speech, the great deserts of kar'shan began to turn red. Red lines unending across the surface grew outward and an ever-growing cracking of the planet itself. Great rifts of fire erupted all along the planets surface as radio traffic ceased in sections as entire continents turned to the red fire. The planet that had birthed the batarian people had ceased to exist, in its place a ball of magma now inhabited the planet. 10 minutes after detonation not a soul on the bridge had broken their view of the planet. Continents began breaking away from the destabilizing planet with ships narrowly missing them.

"Is their anyone left, anyone at all."

Moving to his station the sensor operator only hung his head in shame.

"Nothing but dust and echoes sir."

Note- And so ends the batarian hegemony, reviews are cool btw. I understand im not good at grammar but uh yah. Would love the readers to possibly throw some ideas around as to how the story should go from here. For the glory of Khorne more blood for the blood god.


	11. Chapter 11

Council Chambers, Citadel

"Now, the prepared fleets are ready to move through relay 314 alongside our ambassador. Hopefully the turians brash display does not incite them again we don't want another rachni war on are hands."

"STG prepared all available intelligence from listening post, burst radiation suggest form of FTL other than relays and eezo."

"I did find it odd there were no other relays in system the patrol fleet found, it would do us well to bring these newcomers into our graces for the benefit of all of course."

Councilors Tevos, alongside her salrian counterpart Zetall Jinisi exchanged notes on just how big of a political screwup the turians had made. The last reports coming through the other side of the relay were of an overwhelming force destroying all spaceborne turian assets. Then all radio contact ceased, not a word for several days now as the turians held up the citadel's ambassador due to security concerns. If one hadn't been enough three war fleets now held the space on their side of the relay, the STG being the spies that they were had sent in a dozen stealth frigates to shadow the spiteful admirals in case they wanted a restarting of hostilities. The loss of the Asari commando battalion had angered several Matriarchs back on thessia but when the technological potential was shown before them, they stopped their whining.

All was going well in the land of Tevos, a new race to enhance the Asari and bring under their all-knowing guidance as they should. It would be the turians all over again maybe they could even replace the prideful birds If the reports were anything to go by…

"Councilors! Councilors!"

Tevos's Assistant had worked outside her office for over 30 years, the Matron had served through untold crisis and had never had to raise her soothing voice to gain her Matriarchs attention. Now the 376-year-old matron was all but running through the doors screaming with massive eyes, hyperventilating the woman stopped just short of the councilors and began hyperventilating before them.

"Aiztea what could possibly warrant you bursting in these chambers and interrupting our meeting!"

Tevos herself was annoyed by the intrusion, the asari were supposed to be the calm cool and collected ones of the three. Not running with their hands-on knees scared out of their wits.

"I am sorry madam councilor but there had been a development that I could not believe at first. You must see it, you both must see it it's about kar'shan.."

"And what have the Batarians in all their stupidity done now?"

"Madam councilor Kar'shan…. Its gone!"

"And how cold it possibly just be gone, did it disappear? A planet doesn't just disappear have you had a phycologist look at you recently?"

Annoyed at where the conversation was going Aiztea turned on the vid station located in the room to the latest news reports available. Before even turning the channel an Asari reporter filled the screen with the backdrop on what looked like a sun at first. Tears running down her face the reporter could barely contain her emotions as she gestured to the sun like world behind her.

"if you are just now tuning in to citadel network news than I am…. I am deeply saddened to report the Batarian home world of Kar'shan has been destroyed by an alien strike force of unknown means. What we do know is from audio, sensor, and visual recordings of Kar'shans satellite network. Two hours ago, an unknown burst of radiation behind kar'shans first moon followed by the sighting of an unknow space craft estimated to be 10 kilometers tall, the Planetary defense fleet attempted to engage the unknown when it released a kilometer long rod at the planet which detonated minutes after launch. The rod has cracked the planet, and I can almost not… casualties for every single being planeside were 100%. Continents sized chunks of the planet now float in the void at the site of the former planet. We have had no word from the Batarian government as of yet, this is Citadel news reporter Nirelsa Gidaris signing off. May the goddess help us all."

Tuning to the Citadel emergency screen, the room was dead silent save for the weeping of Aiztea. Tevis had never liked the Batarians, they were a brash slaving people who had always flung their nose at the Citadel, but this. This was a type of war the council hadn't seen in almost a thousand years, and it would only get worse. Reports came in every year of how the government would topple this year or the next under the crippling amounts of corruption and slavery. Looking past the billions of dead Tevos could see the dark logic used by these aliens in destroying the central leadership, the crippling of the command structure would succumb to civil war as admirals and generals vied for power. Tuning her omni tool to a map of the batarian territory, there was a solid defining border to everything to its galactic east. The highlighted space itself stood as the bordering zone between the citadel space and the estimated aliens. Dirty, Dark, and downright blood thirsty but well played were how she would describe her newest adversary.

"Councilor Tevos, STG unwilling to admit unknown had occurred. Recommend troop deployment immediately cannot allow unknown race to continue breaching citadel law."

Moving any troops discounting the ones already sent would allow the terminus to get uppity int her absence, a major war could not occur right now.

"I think what we have just seen is their final act and they are waiting on our move now councilor. All of what we just saw was to stop us from any type of advance due to our supply lines moving in Batarian territory, to cripple the hegemony was to cripple us in the long run. Now it's our turn to make the move. Order the diplomats and fleets to move through the relay now before anymore planets turn into the cinder we see now."

"That seems to be the best."

Shanxi Cluster, CVl-13

Amid the lifeless husk, floating debris, and clouds of packed radiation a 2.5-kilometer-long ship of the line defended the USEC. In bold white letters painted on her black hull the USS YORKTOWN and her accompanying battlegroup of 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers, and 12 frigates scoured the debris field of the former alien fleet looking for survivors. Recovery operations for the last day or so had recovered thousands of the birds floating in escape pods. Most attempted to defend themselves but when the USEC AI Parker informed them that any hostile acts would result in depressurization of their escape pod they calmed down.

USECN Rear Admiral Steven Hackett stood on the bridge of his flagship watching Jackal fighters enter and leave the launch bays of his carrier. The battle itself had resulted in the crippling of two frigates when it was all over. Over one hundred nuclear weapons had been thrown at the enemy alongside the hundreds of MAC cannon rounds into the void. Casualties had been light among the capital ships but two dozen fighters had been lost to a laser based weapon system aboard the flagship of the enemy, only the first wave had been affected Hackett guessed due to the weapon needing to cool.

When he had arrived, they had found their worst fears had come true, Shanxi had been lost. The 245th alongside the 16th scouts destroyed and an alien armada of 30 ship hovering over the planet. There were no calls of peace only war when it was realized in a last-ditch effort the 245th had used their LOKI satellites. When the naval slaughter had been completed the Marine Expeditionary unit attached to his fleet had gone down and found the remnants of the 3-13 Martian. A very angry Staff sergeant Zaeed massani had told the heroism of the 245th defending against the alien, a last ditch effort at the governor's mansion concluding it all. The massacre at the spaceport and finally the aliens use of their orbital weaponry on the city proper. Recordings of all the radio traffic had already been sent off to the OSI to account for everyone groundside.

"Sir, incoming signature from the relay estimated numbers at 75 and counting."

Jumping out of the device in a lightshow of blue the mass of ships decelerating in the Shanxi cluster immediately took note of the CBG.

"Bring us around and get all fighter launched, I want CIWS and the nukes on standby for these fuckers!"

"Yes sir, orders away to the fight leaders wait, intercepting alien hail for the Yorktown sir shall I patch it through? The vessel is of a vastly different design from the birds."

"Continue to launch fighters, patch the hail through let's see who were looking at."

One of the beings termed as blue bitches by the Army appeared on his comm screen floating directly in front of his chair. She looked older Hackett guessed more mature than the videos and photos from the surface. An elegant black dress with some sort of crown on her head, piercing blue eyes complimented her light blue skin.

"Hello, I am Matriarch benezia acting ambassador for the citadel council and current acting head of this fleet who do I have the pleasure of speaking too?"

"I am Rear Admiral Hackett of the United States of Earth and her colonies and you Matriarch have just invaded sovereign USEC soil. Alongside your birds, four eyes, and your own kind you have massacred USEC civilians have you come to explain yourself?"

The bluntness of the statement almost made the matriarch lose her cool, Hackett noticed.

"I have no knowledge of what the commander before myself has done but let it be known we are willing to pay reparations to rebuild any bridges we can between us."

An aide appeared next to Hackett, an ensign by his collar.

"Sir, fighters in positions the OSI frigates have gone dark and report a dozen cloaked ships alongside the fleet before us. Just heat cloak not visual."

"So, Mrs. benezia your purpose is to negotiate a truce between our peoples is that true?"

"yes that is it, the citadel council has appointed myself to wrong the past doings that have occurred on this planet."

'Then you have the wrong man for the job, I'm military we don't do all the political bullshit. That's the politician's job and I've got one aboard just for this occasion. If you wish to not have hostilities commence right now send half your fleet back through the relay in an act of good faith."

"I will send them immediately for peace in our time."

"yes, peace in our time, my first officer will send details of where and how this diplomatic venture will take place."

Shanxi cluster, aboard Asari Dropship CA-113

These humans as they were called were quite the characters of their actions so far told her anything. Brash, arrogant, they saw themselves as superior to all before them, it reminded her of the Batarians almost. The terms for their meeting had been simple, a single dropship alongside 4 security personnel and two ambassadors form her side would meet the human aboard their gargantuan dreadnaught. Looking out the windows of her expertly sculpted craft the brickish nature of the human ships became apparent, all boxy with massive guns sprouted along the entire hulls. The odd thing about this fleet of ships that had baffled every sensor operator in her fleet was not a single spec of eezo had been found. The lights of their landing bay came into view and situated just above it some type of flag alongside letters stood out.

"USS YORKTOWN, CVL-13 huh does that mean they have thirteen of these warships because that will not do if they wish to join the citadel."

"yes, it would be good to watch these upstarts declaw themselves before our might."

The turian ambassador Velius Fuausnas had been radiating hatred of this species since he had first laid eyes on the floating bricks. The defeat of not one but two Turian fleets alongside the tens of thousands of dead legionnaires on the surface did not bode well with the turians military superiority.

"Now Velius, calm yourself if we wish to bring them into the fold the submission will look much better with gifts than chains."

"Attention Diplomatic shuttle this is Snapdragon 6 myself and my wingman will be escorting you in."

"yes, slap dragon 6 we will follow you in."

"Slap dragon? Wonder what in the galaxy that means."

The Asari pilot expertly followed the two human fighter craft into a lit fighter bay. Passing through a blueish atmospheric shield the craft touched down alongside rows upon rows of the same human fighter craft. Moving to the door Benezia alongside Velius stood alongside two asari and two turian bodyguards.

"Ready?"

"Of course, let's get this over with."

Doors opening Benezia was stunned at just how much a show these humans had put on for them. Hundreds of their soldiers lined in rows upon rows in full battle gear. No pressed uniforms of the Turians, nor the elegance of the Asari every solider wore combat equipment alongside helmets darkened to hide their features. Stepping off a single Asari looking creature with fur on its head approached them down the hallways of flesh and steel.

"hello! My name is Lt Elisabeth Chambers if you would please follow me I will guide you to the meeting room."

Before she could answer the woman continued toward what had to be a pair of doors going deeper into the ship.

"A very intimidating bunch aren't they, lets follow now."

Leaving the tide of soldiers, their bodyguards surrounded the ambassadors as they followed the LT through the twisting corridors of gray steel. Passing more of the human wearing blue uniforms, all eyed the 6 aliens with an air of hate and suspicion. Benezia saw it all to well, the squinting of the eyes, raising of the lips to almost reveal fangs. These people hated her and everything she stood for, why she did not know yet but she would find out. After five minutes and going down a single elevator the LT ushered them into a brightly lit room. A long table with two more of the humans standing at the end greeted them with a window looking into space.

"Rear Admiral Hackett good to see you again, and I'm going to say this is your governments ambassador?"

The rear admiral wore the same white uniform of earlier, adorned with a myriad of metals the purple one caught her eye. A planet held aloft by some type of plant surrounded by the gold metal and purple cloth. Next to him, a browner type of his species. A male obviously with a blue formal wear type suit and tie had a heartwarming smile with an air of confidence.

"My name is Abdullah Locklar, primary ambassador fort he United states of Earth and her colonies now if you could please introduce yourselves that would help greatly."

"Yes, I am Matriarch Benezia ambassador of the citadel Council, Asari republics, and Armali council."

"And I Am Velius Fuausnas of the turian hierarchy, military attaché to Ambassador benezia and a direct line to the primarch."

"Good now with that out of the way we may discuss your wish for peace after attacking a sovereign USEC colony and killing 30,000 people."

Benezia could see the jab for what it was, to get a rise out of the ambassadors she having hundreds of years of experience would not fall for it her colleague on the other hand…

"before you go throwing numbers around I will have you know you have broken dozens of citadel laws and those peace keepers acting!"

"Velius now is not the time to inform them of laws they have no idea about!"

Silencing the yelling turian Benezia took her seat at the end of the table directly opposite of the two males who did the same. Velius decided to stay standing.

"The citadel council and Turian hierarchy is fully prepared to pay reparations and sentence the officers in charge for this blatant misuse of authority."

"The USEC would like to define misuse, would that be invading a planet and attacking an unknown populace alongside destroying an entire flotilla. Then when the ground attack fails to take the city, firing capitol ship weaponry into atmosphere alongside using mercenaries to butcher civilians. I have audio, video, and other evidence to prove all have occurred with the authority of your commanders."

Beneiza knew they had them, there was going to be no bargaining with these people unless they saw the bigger picture. It was already to late in the game to woo them into forgetting the past deeds, Velius was right these people would have to be led… Her omni tool chimed for the whole room to see, Veliuss doing it a moment after hers.

"If you excuse me this could be a private message."

"Take your time ambassador."

Opening her omni tool, she had a priority message from the council themselves. Reading just what the message held she began to lose all composure, her breathing increased, a sweat formed along her spine as her eyes finished the entirety of the report. Closing her omni tool she looked straight at the human ambassador, a look of nothing spread across his face.

"Now I'm guessing you see that your actions have consequences, and how far we are willing to go to defend earth and all her colonies. Now the real negotiations shall begin, please have a seat Matriarch."

In the window Benezia watched as dozens of ships began to leave blue portals of light, all bearing the same white lettering of earlier.

Council chambers, Citadel

"Their she is, Matriarch benezia are they suing for peace!"

"Yes they are and I have their terms."

"Well what are they out with it we cannot handle another planet turning into a fucking asteroid field!"

"Total control of relay 314, a space station on our side acting as an embassy for any situations that develop and….."

"Fucking out with it Benezia!"

"Not joining the citadel council."

In its 1,500 years of existence every race to discover the citadel had joined be it for military, economic or in the asaris case cultural reasons. To have a race refuse to join was insanity, no one had ever said no to the most powerful government in history how dare they!

"Benezia inform them!"

"They threatened to level thessia Tevos, I'm not risking political points for my home world full of billions I cannot do such a thing."

"Why would they do such a thing?"

"They showed me the videos Tevos, hundreds of their kind gunned down by those stupid bitches from eclipse and in the eyes of their people it's all our fault. The Turians, Batarians, and eclipse ruined this first contact before it could even begin, and I don't believe it can ever be recovered."

"Send me these videos that have gripped their population to somehow have an unending hatred for us and I shall see what I find."

"Yes councilor."

3 pings on Tevos omni tool after five minutes informed her the downloads were complete. The first had the odd writing her omni tool quickly translated to STAFF SERGEANT ALKSON 2-21 INFANTRY. A helmet camera obviously as the wearer watched hundreds of asari in yellow armor land among a tent city of hundreds of civilians. The Staff sergeant began screaming to the civilians but none of it mattered as the bloodthirsty mercenaries began to gun down all those around them. He killed several before one rushed him, impaling his gut with an Omni tool blade and killing the feed. The second video panned over a large field filled with some sort of bags, wait are those? Body bags, hundreds if not thousands of body bags being prepared by soldiers. Children it looked like being loaded, half filling the bags meant for adults. Small stuffed animals and blankets covering several with pairs of parents crying above them.

How any Asari could do this astonished Tevos, why had the eclipse mercenaries responded to the turians call so close to the border she would never know. The third video had now properly loaded, the first thing Tevos noticed were the gunsights in the center of the screen with the words WAR PIG in the upper right. An ammo counter with an image of what must have been a vehicle of some sort gun camera. It looked like the same area of the first video, the sights centered on a group of eight or so asari and opened with its weapon. The ammo counter going down as blue limbs followed red blood until only two moved in the pile of yellow armor. They would just fire more wait- the vehicle accelerated and Tevos saw the fear enter the Asaris eyes as the camera turned to behind the vehicle to chunks of me at and yellow armor in its wake. Feeling bile rise in her throat Tevos turned away from the video to empty her stomach. Using a cloth to wipe any residue she switched back to her call.

"Matriarch are you still on the line?"

"Yes councilor."

"The citadel council agrees to these terms, pull back the fleets the batarian situation is deteriorating faster than we though and we need those troops now."

"Yes, madam councilor."

**NOTE-** So ends the First contact portion of the story, USEC holds its border while the council scrambles to deal with the balkanization of the batarian hegemony. Now for the 30 years of black ops, espionage, and mistrust between USEC and the citadel until we finally meet Shepard. Should he be Navy, Marines, or army I don't know yet.


	12. Chapter 12

USS Yorktown CVL-13, 12 Weeks after Shanxi peace accords

"Good morning Citadel news viewers, I am your host Ships Endova!"

"And I am Oran Zumaln and this is Citadel news network. Now onto current events, the fracturing of the former Batarian hegemony after the new race known as humans destroyed kar'shan is sending crippling effects across markets form Thessia, to Palavan in a crash unseen since the Krogan rebellions more at 11."

"Deployments of Turian peacekeepers on worlds bordering Citadel space have some questioning whether these peacekeepers will do anything at all with reports of genocide and civil war breaking out. The council has assured this station the situation will be contained within the coming year."

Now that got a chuckle out of Rear Admiral Steven Hackett, the blatant lies and use of propaganda footage shown on the TV showed just how the council dealt with this mess. The footage itself was great, thousands of dropships filling a skyline of smoke. Turian soldiers handing out food rations with patrols going through streets of rubble and debris. Sadly, to anyone outside of council space it was a show. Four factions had divided up the former empire into the massive system spanning civil war it was today. In the galactic southern sections of the Hegemony borders stood the Batarian Freedom and independence army or BFIA. OSI agents said the army itself had its heart in the right place, wishing freedom for all from the slavery of the past. Alongside them to their west, the empire of supremacy had evolved from remnants of the former hegemony, ran by a former Admiral Balak the empire took their former nations political model and ratcheted it up tenfold. Slavery, Genocide, the usage of rape as a weapon were all heard by the USEC as refugees poured out of its borders.

To the Galactic north, the Batarian free trade and independence league had been jumpstarted by fleeing corporations. Holding a dozen worlds, the small but well-kept empire was controlled by an oligarchy of CEOs who held an iron fist of mercenaries willing to do anything to continue their paycheck. The northeast held a patchwork of free worlds banded together under a democratic model of government. The only drawback to this was every world had to vote on where to send their militaries in the continuous fighting across the entire border, resulting in ill planned attacks and defensive strategies leaving millions of dead.

The wars spreading along a hundred worlds terrified the citadel council no doubt. The casualty list alone would make the Asari and salarians go white at the thought of how many peacekeepers would be needed. The turians would relish at the thought of occupying the entire Hegemony but seeing it was only for former slaves none really cared. The USEC meanwhile had deployed half the navy along its border where possible Batarian incursions could enter, CBGs, BGs, and an unknown number of the OSI black fleet held the line. Now it was time for the USEC to build, rearm, and watch the fires burn the Hegemony, Citadel, and any terminus pirates away.

Shanxi itself had become a beacon of hope on the eastern side of the warring space. In the first weeks the rumors of a new relay going to an untapped garden world had caught the eye of a dozen ship captains looking for peace. Freighters, former Naval vessels, and private craft spilled out of the Citadel side of relay 314 to find the CV-23 USS CAPETOWN battlegroups staring them down. Orders at first had been to pressure the ships away but under growing pressure from congress Shanxi had been turned into a refugee world. USECA engineers had set up entire camps on the surface housing hundreds of thousands of refugees. Spanning 20 miles square the new town christened Hope by the refugees was becoming a growing problem for USEC politicians.

What to do with the population was the number one problem, they were not human nor were they citizens. The price of their continued existence fell upon the USEC taxpayer and some at home were becoming annoyed at the growing debt. Hackett understood where those people felt but seeing the thousands of men, woman, and children of a myriad races attempting to coexist to survive tugged at the heart strings. He had gone down alongside a platoon of marines to meet some of the local leaders. Their was Chalk a batarian Captain in the former navy, Poreen a former asari slave, and Fadvivia a turian female captured only a year ago. All three represented the hundreds of thousands below and wished to convey their gratitude to the USEC in allowing them to land. The stories of where they had come from varied, stories of massive orbital battles followed by bombardment and the raping of any planet were common. The rules put forth by the citadel on standards of war had all been thrown out as orbital bombardment was commonplace among the warring factions.

"Sir, three more freighters coming through the relay now. OSI intel reports 12,000 to be on board mostly Asari adults and children."

"Direct them toward camp 15, Poreen will know what to do with them."

How long the USEC populace would shoulder this burden was unknown, Hackett knew that whatever decision was made the navy would follow through.

NAVSPECWARCOM OSI, New Manheim

The quietness of the complex spanning almost a mile always made him shudder. Everyone's eyes he passed looked dead inside, there weren't even any birds chirping outside the walled off grey box of a building. Entering the double door leading to the front he found the receptionist going over her computer, not even looking up she knew who he was.

"Lieutenant David Anderson, take the elevator to Floor 31 from their go to briefing room 13."

David had fought with these OSI types since his first days in the navy, four years on seal teams operating on former rebel worlds would do that to a man. Four years of sabotage, wet work, and a myriad of other less than desirable activities had earned Anderson a spotlight shone by Navy special warfare command. He had been hitched off of the redeployment on the border to be shuttled off onto the inner colony world of new Manheim for some type of special briefing. His commanders hadn't known what it was only that he would be going.

Such was life of the cloak and dagger world of the OSI, never trusting their own men and woman in uniform to find out just what was so secret. The nondescript elevator was already preprogrammed with his destination. The building didn't look very tall, so the conclusion was that floor 31 was underground. Opening to yet another non-descript hallway full of metal doors with no nameplates or markers to speak of Anderson began walking hoping to run into somebody.

"Lieutenant Anderson the next door on your left."

A chipper voice blared from everywhere around, an AI hologram materializing right next to him. The black OSI uniform held the rank of commander as the yellow skinned hologram directed with its hand toward the door. After a scan of yellow light, the door opened to a large meeting hall with hundreds of seats facing a stage. A yellow light along the floor beckoned him to follow as all eyes turned upon the newcomer. Finding his sear the uniforms from every branch of the USEC met his eyes. Special forces, Ranger, Seal, MARSOC, and hell even the air force and their Pjs dotted every seat. Enlisted, officers it didn't matter as Anderson found his seat next to an Army full bird colonel and an Army Staff sergeant with one hell of an angry look on his face. Neither spoke as he sat down, only fiddling with their watches or staring at the stage down below. Their had to be enough seats for a thousand people in here Anderson noticed. No one he knew caught his eye, only the unending sea of digital, black, green, and blue uniforms. He was about to ask the staff sergeant to his left a question when the lights dimmed, and a single uniform entered the stage.

Three stars, Army, Special forces tab alongside ranger and a hell of a lot of badges adorned the mans left breast. A graying mustache with the same salt and pepper hair with the air of intelligence as the eyes scanned the entire room. Anderson felt a small shiver as they passed over him, finally the three-star army general spoke.

"If you are in this room it means your are the best the USEC can offer, it means you will be our first line of defense against any other possible threats the galaxy has in store for us and it means you no longer exist."

A holographic scene appeared behind the general, the numbers 161 with a skull directly below with a shield.

"There is a threat beyond imagination out their which has the power to destroy the USEC today."

The shifting of bodies, quiet murmurs thought the thousand, all of it disagreeing.

"12 weeks ago we discovered the rest of the galaxy, the mass relays and billions of beings on the other side."

The screen shifted to an image of the Mass relays discovered off Shanxi.

"I'm sure everyone who hasn't had their head up their ass for the last 12 weeks recognizes this. To the rest of the galaxy it is the key to intergalactic survival, Commerce, war, anything and everything to further life among the stars can be traced back to these relays and the use of element zero. This miracle element which allows movement of objects through lightening of their mass. All of this is only a means of their users' eventual destruction."

The yellow screen switched again to a video taken from a ship's cameras, an AI on a pedestal looking very distraught and screaming.

"YOU EXIST BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT AND WILL END BECAUSE WE DEMAND IT."

Silence filled the room, the voice of something so maliciously evil speaking with untold confidence shook every man and woman to their very core.

"There is something out there, we do not know who, what, where or why but all they wish for is our destruction. We saw that at Shanxi with the opening of the relay, we saw it with the torture of our AI Daedalus and the subsequent breach of the ships data base, all of it to further our destruction."

The screen changed back to the 161 emblem of earlier, the skull with a shield behind.

"you will now be charged with being our sword and shield in the hallowing dark, to go where no one had gone before and defeat our enemy before they can appear. You will be tasked to do things so beyond any law, rule, or ethics book that some would say you have gone off the deep end but know this. Your oath is to Earth and all her colonies and you will not fail. I am Lieutenant General shepherd, welcome to the 161."

For some reason or another this General Shepard reminded Anderson of a Rear Admiral he met years ago.

Citadel, Council Chambers

Councilor's Tevos and Zetall went over the prospective councilor the turians had put forward once again today. A General Sparatus, commander of the 45th legion before its destruction upon the human world of Shanxi. His record before the event was stellar with campaigns full of medals and acts of bravery accounting for one of the hierarchy best. If the council was to have a military expert to combat the massive threat to suddenly appear on the border not counting the batarians it would have to be him.

"Send him in, let's see how this first meeting goes."

Spectres were now guarding the council against ever growing threats. Once only a few members would join the council's elite corps, the Batarian civil war saw the need of dozens within a few short weeks. Hundreds of worlds, billions of people it all was just too much for the big three to handle on such short notice. The Peacekeepers who had been sent into some worlds had been butchered by the populace, or cut down between the four factions vying for control of crater ridden worlds. Entering the prestigious meeting chambers the white face painted turian stood with an air of superiority.

"Councilors it is good to finally meet you, I'm sure our dealings will reflect greatly upon the galaxy."

"Yes, please take a seat the galaxy will not wait on formalities."

Zetall opened her omni tool displaying the current events and major problems of the new big three.

"First and foremost are the humans, these united states of earth cannot be allowed to challenge the citadel. Usage of orbital and nuclear weapons very how to say, problematic. STG ramping up surveillance of citadel side of relay, lost agent yesterday to counter intel on human world of Shanxi."

Tevos arched an eye.

"What do you mean lost as agent? Do you mean…"

"Executed per Shanxi accords, agent caught by human intelligence organization OSI or office of strategic intelligence."

Tevos pulled said agents record to find everything. The salarian male had not just been STG but also a spectre why and how the primates thought they could!

"Per the agreement yes, it is all legal but still allowing them to execute a spectre is irresponsible. This council cannot stand for it."

Now it was Sparaus who chimed in, leaning over the smaller salarian to get a look.

"The humans dare I say it hold military superiority right now. With their unknown FTL usage nor any intel on planets, troops, or fleet movement we would be shooting in the dark once again. And let us not speak of the civil war they laid right in front of us, militarily speaking we must…"

"Understood Sparatus that bullet point is for later in meeting, next matter of business is usage of AI. USEC does in fact coexist with AI aboard ships and command center, technically outside of citadel law little can do of the matter."

"Next Zetall."

"Batarian civil war spilling into Turian border colonies, STG has recorded Turian fleets redeploying to border leaving terminus sparsely guarded."

"There is little leeway you will get from the navy when our own worlds are attacked by remnants of the batarians, they would rather leave the Asari borders and fight on the home front."

"Councilor Spartatus I know you are new to this council so you must understand the treaty…"

"Tevos fuck your treaty."

This caught the age old Matriarch off guard, viewing the turian in a new light she faced him directly.

"The terminus has been quiet for years now, Turian worlds burn so the navy sees fit to deal with the situation. It is turian bodies holding back the blinks, turian sons and daughters heading home in body bags so until I see an asari or salarain troops on the line I will not hear about your fucking treaties."

The last Turian had been nothing like this, brash enough to challenge the other members. Tevos would remember this, looking to Zetall she only nodded.

"Alright than Sparartus I will see to orders being sent to dispatch commandos to the border, Zetall will most likely do the same with the STG."

"Of course, we must represent all those who rule."

"Now onto the last issue, the Quarians and krogan…"

NOTE- I'm not doing the Cerberus angle, I'll be using the characters in my story but not their roles from the game.


	13. Chapter 13

2165 8 years after Shanxi peace accords, Batarian Demilitarized zone.

"Target ID confirmed, one Liara T'Soni stand by for breach."

A city like this could pass on a hundred worlds in the Batarian DMZ. No one would have known at one point it was the third most prosperous in the entire hegemony. Now shell craters and broken out building dotted the built up skyline with a smoky filled gaze. Being a border world of two factions of course it would be the carnival of destruction it was today, records showed two orbital bombardment in the last 5 years by the BFIA alone. Lieutenant Commander David Anderson, platoon leader in Task force 161 had seen the effects of a multi system civil war first hand in the last 8 years.

Mass graves, genocide on a planetary scale, and the destruction of the batarian people could describe the entire conflict. Too many times he would have to stand by and watch as soldiers loyal to one faction or another deemed the populace, enemy combatants. 161 had no qualms with the people themselves, just their former government who was all too good at hiding a number of black projects from the public's eye.

The hypocrisy of those shouting from the rooftops to be the galaxies peacekeepers only made it worse, eight worlds could really be deemed occupied by the council's peacekeepers. The real use of the Councils military was sending expeditions into the DMZ and finding every prothean site possible to gain an advantage on the USEC. 161 had its reasons for wanting the sites for themselves, intel on the great enemy being number 1. Tasked with finding and eliminating the council teams whenever found, intel was to be grabbed and the objectives burned. Better to leave ash then any possible leads as to whoever had done it.

1st Battalion 161 had hit the jackpot with the find of only an hour ago from one of the OSIs informants on planet. A Prothean expert, highly placed among the citadel exploration team with a wealth on knowledge on it all would be touching down to personally inspect some ruins or whatever. Two council spectres alongside a platoon of Turian commandos were all that stood between Anderson and his current prize. OSI Raven UCAVs had just identified her stepping off an asari made dropship to the waiting arms of the research teams groundside. 500-pound JDAMs would be dropped on targets through the zone to create panic, 161 would slip in secure the prey and extract. Not all that hard when extract was a convoy of LSVs leaving the city.

Zooming in through his M5s optics Anderson got a good look at the target. Good looking, she walked through the workers, scientist, and explorers with barely contained excitement. It almost looked childlike if it hadn't been for a quick look at her file and seeing her age in the triple digits. None of the people around her would be alive in five minutes, orders were clear. No survivors to possibly identify the USEC task force literally hunting council teams out here in the DMZ.

"Boomslang to Skull dragger 6, munitions away."

Two 500 pounds Joint direct attack munitions would hit on either side of the camp. The parked dropships and barracks being the main targets, with those inconveniences out of the way the USEC platoon surrounding the place would move in. Two thunderclaps impacted the earth, fire and soil thrown to the sky as the screams began.

"Execute and watch your fucking targets!"

42 persons clad in black and wearing the latest in USEC armor designs emerged from the broken shells of buildings surrounding the camp. The security forces were more engaged pulling bodies and attending to the wounded to notice the tide of humans entering among the survivors. None did until the screams of an Asari were cut short by a burst of gunfire, then it began. The systematic execution of anyone found to not match the OSIs file on record. Half the Turian platoon had been killed when the bombs hit, the rest had been treating the wounded when belt fed weapons cut down their ranks. The prefab structures served as little armor when DP bullets cut through the walls into the inhabitants inside. Anderson's personal team had sprinted to the last known location of T'Soni, the former batarian courthouse held whatever the council had wanted so badly here. Climbing the steps in a diamond formation all weapons held the doorway before stacking to breach. Automatic fire intermixed with screams filled the camp, looking back Anderson watched two humans gather 5-6 salarians together. Their pleading mattered none when one soldier tossed a grenade in their midst before backing away, the resulting explosion of green mist told the story.

"This is for humanity." Anderson muttered.

He hadn't even noticed his platoon sergeant, Sergeant first class Zaeed Massani place explosive tape around the frame of the metal doorway. Nodding Anderson jabbed the man behind him, receiving a jab back he nodded again to massani who clicked the clacker. The door bent inward in a fiery explosion of thermite and explosive paste. Anderson went right, followed by the second man going left before-

A biotic throw impacted the remaining breach team, bodies flew out of the doorway as the attacker came into view. A Turian, Asari most likely Liara, and what the fuck. A quarian of all things, the turian and asari fired upon the second man. USEC armor was good, but two guns firing into the same man ended his life. Vaulting to get cover behind a stone pillar, in his haste Anderson let off a five-round burst into the group of three standing behind another downed pillar.

"Two, three, four down!"

Outside he could hear the rustling on Zaeeds armor on the stone walls.

"Roger!"

"Humans? What are you doing here! Why are you doing this!"

"I'm not council!" A dropping of what had to be a weapon echoed off the stone walls.

An Asari voice alongside the robotic quarian.

"Pick up that weapon you fucking suit rat or were all dying here!"

Female Turian, had to be one of the spectres. Pulling a nine banger out of his Molle pouch Anderson readied the small cylinder with a pull of the pin, only the two still holding weapons would put up a fight, looking to the dead man plastered all over the breach point Anderson knew these fucks were going to die. Tossing the 9 banger at the trio, the device impacted the wall behind them before coming to a stop at their feet. An eye destroying, air bleeding thunderclap detonated with 9 accompanying blast of energy, crippling the shooters. Zaeed entered just as Anderson left the pillar at a full sprint for the target. Vaulting over the downed pillar he kicked the bent over Asari in the stomach before sending a burst of fire into the screaming Turian. With the main threat neutralized he moved his rifle barrel over to the only white suited form in the room.

"PLEASE IM NOT COUNCIL! MY PEOPL HAVE NO QUALMS WITH YOU!"

The white suited Quarian was shaking with her hands held high and her head low. The weapon she had dropped lay at her feet, ammo counter still on full. Anderson arched an eyebrow under his helmet, technically their orders said to eliminate any and all council agents found. The Quarian migrant fleet were not part of the council so- grabbing a pair of flex cuffs he slung his weapon behind his back and placed the device on both Asari and Quarian hands.

T'Soni was recovering at this point, eye still wide and mouthing words she only stared at her faceless attacker. Zaeed passing the pillar and slung his weapon, grabbing the Quarians bounded wrist.

"Two prisoners sir?"

"Technically speaking we do not have orders dealing with non-council races, in the future she might be helpful in gaining support from the migrant fleet."

"Alrighty than sir, Xeno what's your name?"

"Daro' Xen nar Raley sir."

"Well get the fuck up before I don't feel like carrying your weight anymore."

The beyond terrified Quarian leapt to her feet, Zaeed Held her wrist as he unslung his weapon and marched her outside. Now Anderson thought, to deal with why I am here. T'Soni now fully recovered stared with a look of hatred into the featureless black T Visor helmet.

"You're not going to make this easy for me are you?"

"Fuck you, I, we as the council have done nothing to provoke you humans."

"Yah that's what I thought."

Grabbing her shoulder, he pulled the Asari to her feet. unslinging his weapon, he pushed the barrel into her back and motioned her forward. Other 161 soldiers had entered the building and began the work of cleaning up the bodies. The USECs elite spattered on a wall due to the blue bitch in front of him ate at Andersons nerves. Walking through the doorway, T'sonis knees gave out on the top step and a scream of anguish filled the air. Dead council personnel were scattered amongst the USEC troops checking bodies, buildings burned as a convoy of black colored LSVs thundered into the destroyed camp.

"Why, why dd you do this?"

The asari said in between tears.

"For humanity, in the end everything you see here will be justified. Slash and burn gentlemen, clear those hard drives and let's get the fuck out of here!"

Side streets of former city of Yasurek

Romo Brofbower didn't need the why, what, or where. All he needed was humans to kill in retribution for what had happened to his great nation. The shadow brokers money did help add the revolutionary flare but all in all this gig wouldn't be all that bad. He had gathered 20 of his best fighters in his gang to ambush the human convoy rumbling through his city after attacking the council's exploration team. They had all heard the two explosions followed by a cacophony of gunfire, no doubt the death of the big three's adventure. For half an hour he and his men had watched and waited; the convoy had gone by but the shadows brokers intel had told of it coming back carrying the precious cargo Romo was paid to retrieve.

A picture had been sent to his omni tool of some good looking Asari, daughter of a powerful matriarch or another. None of it really mattered to him, just the thought of seeing the red blood of the humans again would excite him. 8 years ago, he had fought on their Shanxi, watched as platoons, companies, entire battalions of men came back in body bags to incompetent leadership sending more into the breach. All of it was shameful in his eyes, the call to retreat after watching so many die at the hands of these lesser beings. The only good that had come of it all was the destruction on not one but two turian fleets, then that day came. Nobody knew exactly what to call it other than that day, the day the Batarian hegemony died. The wars started after that, Batarian against Batarian, slave against slave as the fires spread to a hundred systems. Romo had been getting medical attention of one of the resupply stations near the traverse when the fighting started, none of the officers really knew what to do except to wait for further orders.

When the government itself came apart, anarchy followed. He had escaped on a ship inbound for the evolution of the last government. The Batarian Supremacy or something like that, it fell within a year. All bluster and echo's when the BFIA broke itself upon it. The nations of years ago save for the corporate one several sectors away had either collapsed or formed anew. Hundreds of governments now represented the once proud Batarian people, how disgusting it was. All of it thanks to these two eyed fucks now parading around killing the council's agents in his city. Readying the new Turian made anti-tank weapon, he would show these fucks just who the batarian people were.

Eight of those light armored cars, colored black threw up dust around the ruble on either side of the street. The M12 Modular anti-tank weapon or MAW had been designed with just these vehicles in mind, it had been tested upon the vehicles of the turian army due to no LSVs in their inventory. Today Romo would see just how those Turians designed their weapons.

"Alright men remember cut the front and back ones first. After we can move in the middle and get the rest. Don't let any of these fuckers go home today, remember Kar'shan."

The reticle lined up with the engine block of the vehicle, a mounted machine gun of some sort swiveled back on forth down the street but it wouldn't matter. The third story floor he was upon gave ample cover, 200 meters the vehicle got in range and with the anger of eight years under his belt he fired. The rocket left the tube assisted by eezo boosters, the warhead struck the LSVs engine in seconds. Those Turians knew how to design good weapons, the entire front of the vehicle crumpled under the half disruptor explosive warhead. Similar explosions throughout the convoy told the same story with different results. Only ¼ of the rockets hit as Romos untrained gangsters and militia showed their skill. Sporadic rifle fire lit up from the surrounding buildings as the convoy regained its bearings. .50 cals, 40MM grenade launchers and all manner of weapons fired into his now exposed men, life signs were falling fast among the twenty. His punisher sniper rifle bucked at his shoulder upon lining up the reticle on any human he could find, they knew what they were doing. Not staying out of cover too long, keeping sustained fire on their ambushers but there was a problem. Why were they just waiting there, they could easily drive off int heir remaining vehicles out of the ambush?

Stealth Ostrich ACH-170 callsign Boomslang

"Got one, 3 story building 200 meters from the convoy toward the north. 1 fuckhead packing AT and a rifle."

"Rog I see him switching to chain gun."

Chief Warrant officer four Terrance Pressly hated aliens, after Shanxi and the declassification of footage from the city his anger at those willing to massacre civilians grew tenfold. Moving the gun camera operating the 30MM nose mounted chain gun, the unknown alien filled the thermal sights.

"Rog, go for kill."

Pressing the trigger, 5 rounds of high explosive erupted into the exposed third floor of the building.

"Wow, pretty sure I saw an arm fly off them. Good kill, vectoring UCAVs 2-4 onto target lasing for JDAM."

"Laser confirmed, 5 assholes running from ambush site, side street south. Weapon away."

The 500-pound JDAMs internal computer found the laser point and calculated every flightpath possible. Opening its fins the bomb ejected detached itself, beginning it decent toward the ground. In the Pilots seat Captain Mark Moreau kept the laser on the unsuspecting group of idiots dumb enough to fuck with task force 161. 20 seconds of travel time later and the problem fixed itself.

"Good kill, Skull dragger 6 you are in the clear. Charlie mike over."

"Roger that boomslang thanks for the support, if you see any more assholes give us the heads up!"

"Roger that Boomslang out."

Interrogation room, USS-MANSTON FFS-134

Liara T'Soni, only daughter of Benezia T'Soni shivered as the cool air struck her soaking wet cloths. 20 minutes, was how long she had been stuck in this windowless room. These humans had killed all those people, all her friends to get to her. Now she could only wait for what fate the USECs goons had in store for her, Student, Daughter, and now prisoner. The single door to the windowless room opened, allowing one of the white humans to step in. He wore the same black uniform as all the others she had passed, the only identifier being the 161 patch on his shoulder with a skull.

"Good morning Ms. T'Soni, I'm sure your travel wasn't too bad?"  
"I almost died twice, and you killed all my friends how he fuck do you it went?"

"yes, collateral damage and all that sure is a bitch. Now introductions, I am commander Jack harper of the Office of Strategic intelligence and I need information from your head. How I get that information is all up to you considering we have no laws on how to treat your kind. Now you WILL tell me what I need to know now won't you?"

"What information could be possibly be so important so as to raid a city, kill innocents, and kidnap me!"

"Prothean Archaeological sites, they have been deemed vital to the USEC. Particularly ones related to their history, enemies, and other sites locations. You were briefed by one Spectre Lem Bau as to the whereabouts of council exploratory efforts in the DMZ. I need those locations, planets, and important people now."

"You will get nothing form me, I am daughter of Benexia T'Soni and if you lay a hand on me you will start-"

Liara had closed her eyes as she said the last words, so the fist impacting her jaw and the hand throwing her face into the table afterword were never seen. Looking back up she felt a tear in her bottom lip and a bruise begin to form on her cheek.

"As I said Ms. T'Soni the information you hold is vital to not only the USEC, but the OSI and I do not give a fuck about what you think you are. Now that the unpleasantness is out of the way are you ready to begin."


	14. Chapter 14

Arcturus Fleet yards

Looking across the hundreds of ships which serviced this station daily he could almost get lost in the light blue hue of the engines against the backdrop of space. Small 200-meter corvettes matched up against the gargantuan 4.5-kilometer-long carriers showed a display of the 1st fleets naval power. Formerly rear and now full admiral Hackett knew how to awe the reporters lining up along the gantry, the show was well under way for the 100,000 people of Arcturus station to view the USECs navy on parade. 2nd and 3rd would be here next week and then head off to the DMZ, border security an all that. 4th was stationed above Shanxi and the relay still, dissuading any and all trespasser.

The new president, Sharon Spire had upon election gone straight to the whereabouts of the 161. All the information collected over 8 years of mud and blood fighting in the failed state that was the hegemony. Eight years, and all they had discovered was the great enemies name. Reapers, a term given by the Prothean empire to the masters of their destruction. It was unknown as to just how many of these "Reapers" there were but no charts of their worlds or even fleet movements had been found. An entire empire had destroyed another 50,000 years ago and just left. Where, when, how and why were the questions 161 was made for. The Asari captured yesterday, T'Soni had been a treasure trove after Jack had broken her. She had held out for 6 hours, 6 very long and extremely painful hours. The final nail in the coffin had been the simulation chair, where her mind was the OSIs playground. Something about her mother or the like, none of it mattered only the information in her head as to the whereabouts of council teams in the DMZ.

There were dozens the OSI hadn't even been aware of, an entire planet covered in a city being one of the biggest breakthroughs. All of it now open to 161 to raid, pillage, and secure in the name of humanity. The Quarian Anderson had captured had shown some light about the migrant fleet, failing ships and a people withering on the vine. With a little nudging in the right direction they could be a key ally in the coming war. Everyone knew it, the citadel ever since the war had been gunning for any tactical advantage over the USEC. There had been attempts to gather allies in the terminus and DMZ but OSI reports had the price being too high and the support to little. It was only a matter of time till the big three decided they no longer wished to be challenged on the political stage, war would be the answer. With an additional 50,000 ships and a people who had no love for the big three it could go well with an additional ally in their cause. On the same note, USEC ambassadors had been sent to the krogan home world to find there was no single government. Just an allocation of tribes constantly fighting on the surface for hundreds of years as the population went extinct. This would not do, OSI agents were attempting to find a figurehead to unite the clans and secretly spread a cure for the genophage. Fucking dumbass decision that was by whoever had been in charge at the time, to kill an entire species for revolting.

"Disgusting."

"Is there a problem sir?"

His aide, 1st Lieutenant Armando Bailey had been selected from one of the ranger regiments. High speed, low drag he would do well continuing his service in the 161.

"No Armando just thinking about the problems in my life."

"Yes sir, the joint chiefs would like to have a meeting in one hour, news of the Asari has spread to the president."

"Good, I could use another black check."

Geneva, Earth

"Mrs. President they are in the holo room."

"Thank you, Marissa, take all my calls for the next hour I will be very occupied."

"Yes Mam."

President Sharon Spire, 34th In a long line of individuals who had guided humanity to its place among the stars. Her predecessor President Tyce had dealt with first contact, she on the other hand dealt with the fallout of his decisions. The galaxy burned under her watchful gaze, men and woman of TF 161 struck the citadel where it hurt most in the lost worlds where thousands disappeared never to be found again. Her Presidency had been marked by setback after setback in both the public and secret eye. 8 years and TF 161 had found only their name, the reapers. Thousands of dead Council personnel and billions of dollars down the drain for a name. The defense budget had tripled in the last eight, 45 carrier battlegroups, thousands of ships, billions of men and woman under arms for the eventual threat of these reapers. If they had known it would scare the citadel shitless, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Her one and only job was to serve the people of the united stated of earth and her colonies and protect them from the dangers of the unknown. First contact had shown the greater galaxy to be blustering retards striking out of fear into the dark, thinking their little empire mattered among the megalodons prowling amongst the stars. She would see to the demise of the alien government; 1000 years of stagnation had made them grow soft. Genetically destroying and exiling their only two contenders had made them feel powerful, she would watch them burn. Opening her watch, two people met her eyes. Their youthful smiling expressions staring back at her as she walked the hallways of the presidential mansion. Clark and Naomi had been 10 and 11 years old when they had visited their uncle on Shanxi. At the time CEO Sharon spire was in the middle of a major business merger when the aliens came, 8 years later she had climbed the ranks of the senate to the presidency in a spite of hatful vengeance for the alien. Her strict anti-alien agenda had done her campaign well among the voters.

The tears had left her years ago, still that tug at the heart upon seeing their faces again. No, she was the president and if she was to have her vengeance, she would need to be emotionally stable at times like these. Finally traversing the maze that was the Mansion, two marines stood outside the door of the holo room. Snapping to attention she passed through the oak door finding the most secure visual and audio connection in the universe. Standing before her, Lieutenant General Shepard, Chief of Staff Yukov Zhasen, and OSI director of operations Mark Spire. Their yellow orange holograms lit up the room on opposing sides of the table situated at the center.

"Mrs. President."

"Mam."

"Sharon."

Her husband, Mark had shared her views on the citadel races. They had met in collage where she had gone off to the business world and he had, well gone to the OSI little did she know at the time.

"I have brought you all here to discuss operations in the DMZ and a report which had gone across my desk two hours ago. General Shepard I believe this relates directly to you and TF 161?"

"Yes Mam, yesterday 1st Battalion A Company TF 161 raided a Council exploratory site on the former batarian world of Everyn. A capture order was put on one Liara'T soni daughter of Matriarch Benezia T'Soni for her role in Citadel operations in the DMZ. This is where after interrogation we have discovered 100 more Prothean sites currently being worked on by STG and Asari operations teams."

"The list of sites included and entire planet covered in a city am I correct?"

"Yes Mam, furthermore a Quarian was captured alongside the Asari on her pilgrimage. I'll send you the files on their cultural customs, but I believe this could be of some use to us in the DMZ."

"And how is that General?"

"When the Hegemony fell, there were a lot of former slaves turned freedom fighters. Many of those being Quarian who had been enslaved to the hegemony as mechanics. If we were to return some of these people from the DMZ, we could gain favor with an alien race who does not see eye to eye with the council. Possibly annex the decaying race and free them from their shipbound torment in exchange for engineers to work in shipyards, they are said to be some of the best engineers in the galaxy."

Chief of staff Zhasen took this time interrupt, his thick Russian accent filling the room.

"And with what assets would we use to rescue or annex these Quarians? You're not suggesting we… you can't be serious."

"Deployment of conventional forces on worlds bordering USEC space can ensure USEC domination for years to come. The worlds themselves will act as a staging ground for further offensives into the space and bloody our troops to prepare them for the coming war with the citadel."

"And just how would you suddenly invigorate the people to occupy Xeno worlds General? They won't just sit down while our boys are sent to far off lands for no real goal."

"I'm sending a document now for only the four eyes in the room Mrs. President, Drastic measures must be used in times of extreme crisis. There will be no shortage of heroes, no shortage of patriots when the time comes."

Opening the attached file, her first thought was of disgust, pure contempt, a vile anger at the disgusting filth before her. The pure uncaring thought put into such a plan would make the likes of Hitler, Stalin, and even Xin blanch at just how vile it was. Then it began to click, something like this would rile the public up, make them see the enemy for what they truly were. This would insure human domination till the end of time, of course.

"General Shepard, it is vile, disgusting, and completely disregards everything this nation stands for but in times of conflict the ends justify the means. In times of great threats, we must use every available resource against the alien we can. We must not allow the enemy to gain any more hold upon this galaxy then they already have and if that means we must sacrifice 10 to save a thousand then it is our duty. You are authorized to conduct this operation in the name of humanity."

As the three other parties of the call turned off, only Shepard remained. The things he had done for his country were numerous in his years of service, but today he would go against the very thing he swore to protect, he would attack the human people.

Shanxi International Spaceport. Human Occupation zone.

50,000 human beings called the city of new Shanxi home. Surrounded by the millions of alien refugees who had touched down in the last eight years, the human side of the walls bordering the city lived lavish lifestyles with an economy focused on the moving and processing of resources farmed by the aliens. The non-human population working outside the 15-foot city walls toiled day in and day out in fields, mines, and all manner of industrial production centers for meager paychecks from their human masters. It was the kettle threating to boil over as race related incidents and crimes were common for those working on the outskirts.

Sergeant Lobal Tooms of the 318th Military police Battalion 145th Rochester infantry division stood an ever-present guard around the lifeline of the entire world. His platoon alongside two others patrolled this place daily, looking to quell any civil disturbances that could rise from close human alien relations. It disgusted him at some of the spectacles he had already seen after only being here for two days. Humans, mingling with the alien, even dating them in some cases. He could see why the xenophobic tensions ran so high among the population of the USEC. After Shanxi how any human could possibly associate themselves with these vile creatures, disgusting.

A human female and one of those Asari mono gendered freaks were holding hands walking to the baggage claim area. Did she not see the video every other citizen of this great nation had seen? Of hundreds of men, woman, and children gun downed by the smiling faces of creatures just like that thing. Perhaps he would have to send his fireteam to inform the traitor as to just how her relationship endangered the people around her.

"Watchdog 4, radio check over."

"Watchdog four to watchdog 6 hear you lima Charlie."

His Lieutenant, fresh out of OCS and ready for some action, he was likeable enough.

"Watchdog 4, anything to report over?"

"Nothing except more of the traitors to report at this time."

"Roger, drones are reading a large group of a mixture of aliens inbound for the spaceport just keep your watch watchdog 6 out."

Another one of those protest great, for the past week the aliens working inside the walls had been holding protest for better pay and conditions, was the paycheck of human dollars not enough? The chanting of thousands of voices of their alien tongue filled his ears, the local police had the entire procession surrounded in case of a disturbance. With the traitor couple gone the normal, only human passengers, workers, and businessman filled the baggage area once more. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Heavy lift Elevator EnRoute to baggage claims.

"You have the weapon primed?"

"yes, Lord commander, the human weapon is ready to go on your mark."

"Good I wish to shed the blood of these apes before we meet our gods."

Lord Commander Travak, former Batarian supremacy special intervention unit readied his human made light machine gun. Scavenged from the battlefields of Shanxi, it would be good to use it upon its creators. He alongside 8 others had covertly inserted upon this human world 5 years ago alongside refugees leaving the DMZ. The ride had been harsh on all those around him, the bulk freighter meant for transporting cattle had been repurposed to shuttle as many paying customers as possible. The conditions horrid, it had taken a little threatening to garner better living areas than the rest of his brethren. Now years later with the preparation done they had received the call from high command; they were to strike at their great enemy. To take form them what had been done to the hegemony.

"Brothers! Today we take the fight to where they live! Where they breath! And destroy them! For the hegemony!"

"For the Hegemony!"

The closest man to the doors of the trailer threw them open, jumping out he could already here the screams of the humans, good. 8 more heavily armed, and armored batarians began jogging into the central bagging area of Shanxi's spaceport. The ones running now didn't matter, it was all those crammed like fish in a can where maximum damage could be achieved. The more humans vanquished today would only do better for the hegemony and inform those that stood behind their walls of naval craft, they could still strike. Finally entering the large glass doors his prize turned, their had to be thousands packed into the small terminal station. He smiled under his helmet, pulling the LMG under his shoulder nobody said a word, none even screamed, they just couldn't believe what was happening.

Squeezing the trigger, the belt fed weapon began its dance of death with a figure eight pattern into the crowd. Alongside 8 others, hundreds were dead or dying in seconds. Red blood filled the air as the entire body of people attempted run anywhere other than here. Travak spotted human military policeman attempting to go through the crowd, pushing through the wave of bodies to get a clear shot.

"Lashar, use your grenade launcher on those dimwits on the right, green uniforms shouldn't be hard to find."

"Yes lord commander."

The thunk of a 40MM grenade whizzing down range and the subsequent explosion spelled the fate of the military policeman. 1 minute after entering the first area it was over, a thousand dead human bodies covered the concrete floor in a sweeping tide of blood.

"Alright reload weapons, we move to the terminals now."

Dropping his mostly empty belt, a fresh 250 round box clipped onto the weapon. The humans would remember today, they would remember why this all happened today.

Shanxi orbit, USS-William Berth FFS-227

In the dark confines of the operations center, 5 officers crowded around terminals showing a live feed from the spaceport far below. These men and woman, all used to the shadow war that had plagued the DMZ for the last eight years could barely watch the work of their doing. It hadn't taken much to convince a group of former batarian supremacist high command had sent them orders. The Batarian supremacy had died 5 years ago, when a final battle resulted in the destruction of the fleet and last planet. These sleeper agents hadn't known that, only that their orders were genuine from the supreme commander himself. On the anniversary of kar'shans destruction, the humans would bleed for what they had done.

Now their handiwork was being broadcasted live from a dozen different news station on the ground in Shanxi. Military police, local militia, and all manner of emergency services were already surrounding the scene five minutes after the first shot was fired. Hacked security cameras tracked the 9-man group of mass murders making their way through terminal after terminal, gunning down any and all found. They were making better time than AI projections which was good, detonating the thermonuclear weapon they had "Found" would create more than enough casualties. But watching it all on screen, the faces of the dead and dying, those trapped between a locked door and the killers.

"Remember, this is for humanity. Everything that happens today will ensure our dominance, victory does not come without sacrifice."

All faces turned to the old general in the room, Shepard wasn't one to deal with unbelievers.

Shanxi Spaceport.

"Move! To Security control! There we shall spit one last time in the human's eyes!"

His men were now running through the large rooms dotted around the sprawling complex, not even giving a glance to possible survivors their window was closing fast. The local security forces, military policeman had surrounded the area. There would be no escape today, but that was never the objective. The large case strapped to Lashars back would ensure no one survived this place.

"Contact ahead!"

At the last hallway leading to main security, two MPs in their trademark green opened fire from behind overturned cabinets. Travak did not have time for these idiots, pulling his LMG at the hip he continued his run while laying suppressing fire into the two helpless MPs. Red mist and the telltale screams of the enemy told him he had hit. Reaching the last door, the two MPs lay in piles of body parts and blood. One somehow was still alive, wheezing from what had to be a sucking chest wound the hateful glare he gave the batarian could have killed. Travak smiled at his prey, placing the barrel into the obvious bullet wounds the squeal of pain was perfect. A five round burst ended anymore wheezing.

"Alright, get the case inside and prepare the radio system. My broadcast will fill the hearts of our enemy with terror and make them pay for the crimes committed against the batarian people."

His communication specialist wired the broadcast system while the rest of his men turned the room into a bunker. Mines, Tripod mounted weapons, and all manner of citadel style weaponry were pointed directly at the two-doors leading into the security office. No windows, no other points of entry, there would be no stopping the supreme commanders broadcast. The comm specialist gave a thumbs up, standing in front of the comm system, Travak was live.

"To the people of the great Batarian Supremacy beyond this planets walls! I salute you and honor you in striking against the great enemy who long ago shamed our great nation! Thousands have died today in the name of the supremacy and will continue to do so as my hearts pumps in the names of the billions who had perished in those dark times! Today our great shame has been only slowly undone, the enemy, the humans now bleed the death of a thousand's dead in the halls of their planet! This great blow will show not just them, but the universe the batarian people will not go peacefully into the night, we will not bow to citadel or human hands! We are the BATARIAN PEOPLE and we will not go quietly!"

Out of breath at screaming into the mic, the comms specialist gave another thumbs up.

"The transmission is going to all major airwaves; this will get out everywhere lord commander."

"This is only the first step of many, we are the bringers of humanity's destruction. Lashar how goes the bomb?"

"Prepped sir, the detonator. Please do the honors my lord."

Grabbing the boxy detonator, he flipped the arming stick to red and depressed the button. Eying everybody in the room who did the same to him he uttered one last sentence.

"For the Supremacy."

Presidential suite.

"If you are just now tuning in to ABC nightly news, we are going to interrupt all normal programming for a massive development out of shanxi. Keisha, our reporter on the ground is live with a massacre reported to of happened in the Shanxi spaceport. Keisha?"

"Yes Dan, 15 minutes ago a large amount of weapons fire and reports of shooters entering the spaceport were confirmed by sources within the 145th Rochester infantry division. General Donovan who is with me now had more to say on the developing situation, General?"

Standing in the Army green digital, General Donovan's back was to his C1A5 command vehicle overlooking the spaceport. On an overpass unit of the 145th could be seen surrounding the structure in M-118 Fastback IFVs.

"Yes, so far all radio intercepts point to small elite team of aliens assaulting the spaceport, we do not know why at this time but as you can see none of the murders will survive."

"What is the army doing for those still inside? Their had to of been thousands of people, human and alien inside at the time of the attack?"

"Right now, all we can do is fully secure the building room by room, looking for the hostiles. AT that point we can move in and secure any wounded in need of medical attention."

"General, some are wondering just how-"

A flash brighter than the sun itself filled the screen, those staring directly at the spaceport not wearing protective eyewear lost their vision. Ear drums popped, brains liquefied in skulls and thousands died as the shockwave of a nuclear explosion spread in the downtown area.

"Keisha! Keisha are you still with us!"

The camera situated on a drone adjusted into the view of the hellscape. Straight in the middle of the city, where thousands of soldiers had been movements ago a mushroom cloud towered in the now ash filled sky.

"Dan, oh my god! The spaceport, it's all gone we have a confirmed nuclear detonation on Shanxi!"

President Spier had to turn the broadcast off at this point, the weight of all that had just happened laid directly on her shoulders. Standing in her bedroom, tears flowed from her eyes as the images played in her mind of the thousands dying in a second's time. Looking out her window, the earth and stripes flowed in the early morning hours of Geneva.

"For earth and all her colonies, I will kill them all."


	15. Chapter 15

USS-Bankston CV-10

"As you can see behind me-!"

Cut off by Ostrich Transport craft, the petite reporter used all her strength to hold her footing.

"Deployment orders have gone out across all USEC colony worlds as millions of troops are now being shuttled beyond the 314 Mass Relay!"

M4A3 Komodo tanks crossed behind the reporter further muffling any attempts to speaking into her camera drone, Switching back to the stations feed TV reporter Dan Aden filled millions of screens across the USEC.

"Petria seems a little overwhelmed now, if you are just tuning in the USEC is officially at war. Hours ago congress has passed a decleration of war on the planets just on the other side of the 314 mass relay and called for the deployment of the USEC armed forces to quell any more terrorist threats. Coined as the Galactic war on terrorism, activation orders have been sent to planets across the United states. Please visit our website to view units selected for deployment.

On the other side of the galaxy, the citadel council has called this massive military deployment to the Batarian DMZ an act of war upon the citadel itself. Citing security Concerns Councilor Sparatus of the Turian Hierarchy has called for military deployments to counter the growing USEC aggression."

Admiral Steven Hackett, commanding officer of the 1st USECN fleet was sure he was going to lose more hair over this. The logistics of the operation cobbled together in the last three days would have been a nightmare to anybody without AIs. Millions of men, thousands of aircraft, and hundreds of ships would act as the USECs hammer of justice against the batarians worlds. Why those idiots had decided to massacre USEC civilians on the only world to house aliens was unknown to him, the idiots had only made the aliens lives ten times worse on Shanxi. It was all classified to those not needed to be in the know, especially the media when it came to Shanxi's current situation but Word got to him though about just how the USEC was dealing with that mess. The army had been deployed in the streets and martial law was in effect. Roundups, internment camps, all of it now covered the surface of Shanxi.

Back to Arcturus and the growing problem of rearming, refitting, and preparing an entire fleet for movement was turning his hair even grayer. Two 4.5 Km long Carriers, a 3 Km Battleship, 12 cruisers, 15 destroyers and several stealth frigates made up the 1st fleet. A dozen troop transports were coming from earth to supplement his marines who would be going groundside for once, Chock full of USECA they would be the hammer to his Marines Scalpel. Onboard he housed 10,000 Marines of the Delward 88th Marine Division. They'd been bloodied boarding random Batarian vessels along the border and where more than ready to leave the fleet for the ground. Pulling up the roster for the Army the numbers of it all were mind blowing. 8 million soldiers from Earth, armor, air assault, airborne, all meant to conduct an island-hopping campaign among five worlds. The usage of shock and awe would be key in destroying any batarian resistance and quelling any future uprising. The key was to pull out the fighters in the early stages, and not allow them to go underground in the future.

It would all depend on just how fast and mobile the army conducted its land operations planeside. The real kicker that caught Hackett's eye were the units at the bottom of the report. 5th Special Forces group, 18th Special forces group, 160th SOASR. Special warfare units acting as headhunters and forward observes in the beginning stages of any campaign, kill teams.

The real odd thing about it all was the verification needed at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on the verification button a retinal scan activated from his computer, scanning his eye the screen turned green and a new unit joined the others. MAC-DMZ? Military Assistance command, with a lieutenant general Shepard in charge, the name rung a bell somewhere. Hackett had met the man at some pointing in the last twenty years he just couldn't figure were. Moving on, a hundred supply reports required his attention.

Batarian world of Dar'lash, DMZ 1 week after deployment orders.

"Good afternoon Citadel News viewers I am filed reporter Fila Vas Bayur coming to you live from the Batarian world of Dar'lash. Now a hotspot for what some are calling an invasion of apocalyptic proportions locals are bunkering down in any place they can to await the coming storm."

Flia had been planeside for 3 days, racing here after the declaration of war had reached the citadel. The Quarian news reporter was an oddity amongst the more prestigious reporters with racial background of the big three. But willing to take any story and to go anywhere she had earned a name for herself reporting form the worst battlefields in the galaxy. Every station back on the citadel couldn't keep themselves out of her inbox with request ranging from the local being on the street to the wonton destruction which would soon be making this planet a hellhole. She had gotten to know several human officers in her tenure inside the DMZ, they didn't view her with nearly as much xenophobia as the bug three races.

Her camera drone followed her through the ruined streets of Tarkan, Dar'lashes capitol and now cesspool of fighter pulled in form all over the planet. The warlord in charge had decided a single, highly defended location would do more good than a guerrilla campaign stretching the entire planet. The loudspeakers all around blasted propaganda and speeches about how the batarian people would end their great enemy at Dar'lash. Camera drone following, Fila made sure to get views of all manner of military fortifications with the inhabitants puffing their chest for the cameras. All smiles and words of victory, they brandished their weapons at every bunker she passed in the desolate street.

"Hey reporter lady, need a little help before the war!"

"Hey babe, I could die out here wanna send me off with a blowie!"

"Yo buckethead! You got a nice ass!"

All soldiers shared the same manners when it came to female rpeorters in the field, who could get in her pants first. The Batarian she passed were all smiles and laughs now, but if her time on a dozen worlds in the DMZ taught her anything it was that what was coming would turn this place to ash. Millions would die in the city spanning campaign to rid the formal government of its power and establish a puppet ruled by the USEC. But that was here nor their for her, she was here to report the story and cash in on all the juicy footage of humans attacking an alien world.

Reaching her air car at the end of the street, her Turian security guards had made sure it didn't suddenly walk away or fall apart thank the ancestors.

"Brutus, Brinus, good to see my car didn't fly away!"

"Yeah, couple Batarians tried to talk us into a sweet deal, trade you and the car for our lives. Their behind you if you want to speak to them."

Looking behind her and alley with a dumpster filled her view, an ominous leg sticking out of the almost closed box.

"hmm, wouldn't put it pass them. Can you get the satellite online I'm going to transmit a couple more scraps to Citadel news and see if they will throw more credits our way."

"Yeah one sec."

Brinus moved the back of the air car, slinging his weapon he opened the trunk and allowed the antenna to extend. Catching the satellites which were still hopefully orbiting the planet a nervous look spread across his mandibles.

"Uh Fila, I'm not picking up any satellites"

"Preposterous, I calibrated it myself and there were like a dozen satellites when we got here how could, wow."

Every comms station, satellite, even the supply stations in orbit weren't connecting. Looking up to the skyscrapers surrounding them Fila couldn't figure out why every comm device in the city had suddenly gone down. Then it hit her, almost as sudden as hundreds of shockwaves going off in orbit, the humans had arrived.

"We need to get somewhere safe now!"

Slamming the trunk down and grabbing her bags her two turian guards continued to stare at her.

"Fila its probably just a comms problem in the city why are you freaking out?"

"Can't you see! Their here we need to get somewhere safe now!"

Pulling her omni tool up, she scanned for nay hardened structure close by. A bank, heavy steel and concrete walls, rebar enforced, with bullet proof glass covering the front, perfect.

"There is a bank, two blocks away if we make it there, we should be safe from what's coming."

Brunis and Brutus looked at each other before both nodding to their Quarian employer. Taking off down the same street she had just come from she found all the defenders from earlier in the day fiddling with their Omni tools. None payed any glace to the three off worlders rushing past and seemed more focused on why they couldn't talk to their boss than looking to the sky.

A 30-story skyscraper covered in holes and belching black smoke was 200 meters away. Earlier she had gone to every floor, interviewing Batarians manning mass accelerator anti-aircraft guns going over the specifics of how they would down human fighters. Time slowed down as her helmet looked toward the afternoon sky, an object about 3 meters long with fins going along its body had appeared out of nowhere. Time turned back to normal as the bomb flew through the sky and impacted the half-destroyed skyscraper. Rather than striking the upper floors, the munitions dug into the foundations of the enormous building before detonating. The explosion itself wasn't bad, what came afterwards Fila would describe in her later years as the most terrifying thing she had even seen. The building itself buckled, its supports exploding it began to tilt toward the street she was on. 30 stories of steel, brick, and concrete were about to crash right on top of her. She could only gaze at what had to be certain death as it fell in slow motion towards her. A three fingered hand grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet Brutus was screaming in her face with his spit impacting her face shield.

"CMON GET THE FUCK UP!"

Finding her sanity again she found the bank among the debris raining down along the entire street. 50 meters through a mess of destroyed aircars and hundreds of people running for the same place. The buildings lower floors had impacted the ground at this point on its downward spiral into the street below. She didn't have to look up to recognize the tell-tale booms of aircraft breaking the sound barrier. Explosions echoed off the buildings on either side of the street as she pumped her legs as fast as she could behind her turian companions. Looking to her right the building was falling even faster, 10 more seconds and the street would be her tomb if she didn't hurry.

Her feet hit the carpet of the bank just as the building finished its decent into the street. Her lungs ached, her legs pushed with all her might when she saw the light and a familiar Avian like man standing in a vault. Behind where the receptionist would usually sit the 6-foot-tall vault door lay open with Brutus standing out front. At ten feet she launched herself at the open steel door and landed among dozens of terrified people. On her hands and knees, she felt like she was coughing up her lungs and the heat on her face was unbearable. Suit readings showed her heart rate flying and her oxygenation at below than recommended levels, but she was alive.

"Brutus, Brunis where are you?"

"Over her Fila and you might want to look at this."

A crowd had formed around Brutus form hunched over a working terminal. Turing on the speakers as ingle message in human tougne began to play.

"ATTENTION,ATTENTION PLEASE STAY WITHIN YOUR HOMES, COMBAT OPERATIONS HAVE COMMENCED ACROSS THE PLANET OF DAR'LASH. USEC CIVILIAN MARSHALLING AREAS WILL BE BROADCASTED AT A LOCAL TIME. PLEASE STAY WITHIN YOUR HOMES."

Council Chambers, Citadel Invasion +1

"We cannot sit by and allow this human aggression to spread amongst the former batarian worlds, we must act and show them we will not standby in the face of their invasion!"

Councilor Tevos had expected this from Spartaus, being a Relay 314 veteran, he had a bone to pick with humanity. Normally she would have agreed with the brash Turian but hearing the news of a nuclear strike on a human world perpetrated by several Batarian terrorist, she could agree with the human side of things for once. What she couldn't agree with were the last 8 years of science teams disappearing in the DMZ, or the sudden disappearance of a high-ranking matriarch's daughter 2 weeks ago. She had gotten an earful from benezia about her little wing who had been sent to the DMZ overseeing prothean archaeological sites. Spectres were enroute to see what had happened to 200+ people but they wouldn't be there for another two days, the intel that Maiden had in her head if it fell in the wrong hands could spell doom for all the councils operations.

"Councilor Sparatus the humans were attacked by forces loyal to remnants of the former batarian government. Although I see the problem of a possible puppet government after the war there is nothing we can do to dissuade the humans who are currently in a blood frenzy."

"STG Reports massive deployment underway across all 20 worlds slated by human navy, usage of orbital weapons so far limited to precision strikes on military bases. Also found possible leads on handlers of Batarian special forces who raided human planet of Shanxi, STG pursuing."

The situation itself was completely complex and beyond the citadel current control, yes, they had three different major powers united in a common cause, but resources that could be sent were tied down. The Turian peacekeeping mission was bleeding them dry attempting to continue a subdued peace on 40 worlds. Those currently being invaded were on the other side of the galaxy and an invasion meant it would be tying down human resources which in every case was better than being allowed to sit and wait.

"The best we can right now is observe just what the USEC does with the worlds under its care, considering we still do not understand their FTL methods we cannot back track them to their worlds just yet to spy on anything they have. So, our best bet of seeing USEC military equipment is to have STG drones observe and report. We will watch from afar, maybe supply a few rebels here and their but nothing to cause direct conflict with the USEC. The Matriarchs on thessia still do not understand the situation regarding increased military spending and I'm sure yours don't either."

Sparatus huffed before sitting down the plush couch.

"We Turians understand war more than anyone else, but our budgets are looking a little tight as of late with the peacekeeping missions and all."

"Salarian special task group working over capacity to cover USEC "Galactic war on terrorism" can move 1 scout fleet as blocking force that is all."

"Then if we can't hit them up front we will stab them in the back. I can have some "Special" people I know in the terminus begin to run weapons to the 20, bleed the humans dry and see them sucking on their wounds out of the DMZ. We will observe while also supplying, trying to gain any information we can on their FTL devices, maybe even steal a ship if possible. Are we all in agreeance?"

Head nods around the meeting area answered her question, the humans would be bled dry.

1-5 Earth Marines B company weapons platoon, Batarian planet of Lorek

"See those motherfuckers, range 430 about 20 of em in the open. Looks like Asari mercs and a couple turians."

"ROE is to shoot anything with a weapon, Jenkins get the fuck up here and set up the tripod."

Private First-class William Jenkins had enlisted in the marines 8 months ago. Leaving his hometown in rural western America he had gone along with the rest of his friends to serve his time in the USECMC. Now his platoon had been selected to defend the main MSR leading to the armies 11th Corps. The Tripod for the M420 medium machine gun dug into his back as he crawled to the top of the small incline overlooking the highway. The MSR itself was the highway, a vital route of men, material, and armor it was the lifeblood of the 11th push across the continent.

Each side of the highway was covered in the dense shrubbery of this world, it reminded Jenkins of Vietnam from back on earth, before the war. Pulling the tripod off his back, he snapped the metal legs into place and firmly smacked it into the soil. His Machine gunner, Lance corporal Shagger Clicked his M420 into place and adjusted the elevation for the Mercenaries. Jenkins and his squad were the only marines for five miles and allowing the mercs to pass was out of the question.

"Jenkins, ready some more ammo for shagger, these assholes look like they want a fight."

"Yes corporal."

Pulling his medium rucksack off, he pulled out another four 200 round belts of .338.

"Alright, let them close to 200 then light them up all guns."

That was Sergeant miller, his squad leader and veteran of Shanxi. Tough as nails, the Old Marine had been stuck as a squad leader for way too long. Jenkins looked through his 4 times scope to see his target among the dense brush. Asari, she wasn't bad looking for an alien, but they all had gotten the briefings about the Manipulators, all of them. In the extreme humidity she was sweating through her body suit, panting she held the grayish Asari made weapon close as she scanned her surroundings. His rangefinder said 250 meters, A minute or so and she would no longer be breathing this humid air. A turian appeared at her side, he didn't know what he was saying but before he pulled away, he had grabbed her hand and given it a squeeze. The smile she flashed back informed Jenkins she was off the market till her death in the next 30 seconds.

230.

220.

210.

200.

The same Asari filled his crosshairs since the beginning, she would be his first alien.

"Smoke those motherfuckers."

Jenkins pulled the trigger twice, the twin bullets whizzed through the jungle air flying true into the lush foliage. Striking the Asari in her neck they ripped out the meaty bits while throwing her head back with a spray of crimson blood. Jenkins didn't have time to react to his first kill as Shagger laid waste to those still in the open. The red tracers of every third .338 round penetrated any woodland cover with the screams of the dead or dying able to be heard from here. The noise cancelling headset inside his helmet blocked all but the shockwave as the belt fed weapon hungrily ate at its food of tungsten and plastic.

"EMPTY!"

Grabbing another belt, Shagger threw the feed tray open while Jenkins guided the links into the tray. Locking them in, Shagger pushed it back down, operating the bolt he went back to his grizzly task. Jenkins was back on his M5 scanning for any more of the attackers. Only bodies filled his sights until the same turian from earlier cross his vision, he'd been shot in the legs. Blood was gushing from what had to be an artery while he tried to place a tourniquet. Jenkins could see the panic in the avian eyes as the blood just kept coming. Weapons from his left and right lit up the tree line with under barrel grenade launchers now entering the fray, but Jenkins was caught up in staring at the dying al…man in front of him. Throwing his arms out the man had given up all hope, he panned around him before stopping on something close. Jenkins following his eyesight to the asari he had shot earlier. Mangled, neck still flowing blood she was staring at the turian as the light left her eyes. Going back to the turian Jenkins noticed the same empty look. He hadn't even been aware the gunfire had died down until Shagger slapped him in the back.

"Oh-fucking-rah marines now assault through the objective! Team two with me!"

Shoving the unused boxes back into his ruck, Jenkins pulled the tripod out of the ground after Shagger dismounted it. Moving in a line formation the fire team closed the 200 meters to the now dead personnel. None had gotten further than 20 meters from the ambush point, most of them being Asari. No one was being cautious though; Sergeant Miller was tapping everybody just to be sure. The single gunshots ringing out, Jenkins eyes fell upon the Turian. He stopped, bringing his weapon to the low ready he bent over the corpse. Red face markings, standard armor and an old rifle. Nothing too mesmerizing about this one but the eyes. The lifeless blue orbs had stared at the Asari in its last moment of life before succumbing to extreme blood loss. A hand on the shoulder brought Jenkins out of his stupor.

"Your first?"

Sergeant Millar.

"No she was over there."

He said pointing to the neckless Asari.

"8 years ago my first was a turian just like this one, fucker had already killed two of my buddies and I made sure he would never take another. Don't get caught up in killing one of these aliens, they would have done the exact same in your positions."

"Yes Sergeant I will, try."

"I don't see this war ending anytime soon so just don't think about it, you'll grow numb to it eventually and won't feel a thing. Trust me, the corps has made me who I am today, and it will make you too."

Millar said flashing a mouth half full of metal teeth and scars crisscrossing his face.

"Yes sergeant,"

Jenkins mouth said yes but his mind, his mind was terrified.


	16. Chapter 16

Lorek, Capital city of Pator Invasion +5

Scanning the desolate street for the third times in ten minutes Private first-class Jenkins was beyond board out of his mind. The battle for this planet was basically over at this point with the army scattering anything resembling resistance a hundred miles to the west. Jenkins and his fellow marines were now just glorified police officers working to stabilize the city and its populace following 4 days of bloodshed. Plenty of civilians needing the basics around these parts and the USEC was footing the bill for reconstruction whenever it began. The goal of the entire invasion hadn't been to murder as many people as possible, just to send justice to those who deserved it. Contrary to what those in the citadel news station put out they weren't monsters, they killed the enemy and then rebuilt what had been destroyed like normal people who conducted war in this century.

His squad in this process operated a checkpoint inside a major road intersection in the middle of the city. Surrounded by the destroyed high rises, burning debris, or rubble it didn't look like anyone really lived here, that was until the red cross trucks pulled up and life poured out of the decaying rubble. History books would see to recording the mass of beings attempting to overwhelm the trucks every time and the Marines holding back the tide of flesh with bullets and steel. Concrete barriers were staggered on the main road to stop any attempted VBIEDs which were bound to sprout up, the army hadn't gotten them all and it would only be a matter of time until the insurgency started. Beside him Shagger swiveled the M420 back and forth on the pintal mount inside the 8-foot-tall watchtower. The prefab structures came in connexs shipped from the fleet where engineers could air drop them from ostriches onto areas needing of fast fortification. 2 squads of marines held this checkpoint, scanning vehicles and stopping passerby it was to become a permanent establishment until the new puppet government could take over. But that wouldn't be happening for another couple months, in the meantime Jenkins deployment to this backwater terrorist filled world was just beginning.

"Vehicle approaching!"

Turning to the south a single pickup truck type vehicle was indeed fast approaching, whipping dust and debris in its wake Jenkins sighted up on the driver. Younger batarian with what looked like his family, all his belongings lay in the bed of the mass effect powered truck alongside his wife and two smaller batarians, most likely kids. Selecting the voice amplifier on his HUD Jenkins prepared himself to meet the truck.

"Vehicle! Stop!"

The driver slowed 100 meters from the concrete barriers, Two LSVs acting as makeshift machine gun bunkers turned their .50 cals on the thin-skinned vehicle.

"Corporal, I've got four in the truck with a bunch of belongings!"

"Roger that Jenkins take maker and have him pull forward. Give the usual questionnaire!"

"Yes corporal!"

12 Marines had weapons trained on the terrified Batarian driver as Jenkins descended the towers stairs. Maker, a private newer than Jenkins himself met him at the gate, using hand gestures he ordered the driver forward to the gate. Up close Jenkins could see the completely terrified being shaking at the wheel beside his family. Jenkins would have been the same in his shoes, having your family with you when interacting with a foreign military must have been shocking. Green and brown digital uniform covered in magazines and grenades, closed off sealed helmet with no discernable eyes but a T-visor, the man must have been terrified.

"Private first-class Jenkins USEC Marines, where are you coming from sir?"

Noticing it was his turn to speak to the armed marine, the man looked to his wife before looking back at Jenkins.

"We are coming from the east, too many battles going on it is no longer safe for my family."

Battles to the east? Jenkins hadn't heard of any USEC units operating out their and the army had supposedly wiped out anything in the great deserts, so who was fighting out their?

"Alright sir, I'm going to scan your vehicle for any explosive materials please do not be alarmed."

Looking to Maker Jenkins gave him a nod as he holstered his weapon. While he would scan the truck and all its contents maker would keep eyes on the driver in case he did anything shifty. Starting from the front Jenkins used his watch to begin the hazardous materials identifier. In a zig zag pattern he covered the entire front before moving on to the back. Two Wide eyed batarian children stared at him as he went back and forth among the pile of belongings strapped down to the bed of the truck, Reaching the end he found nothing. Jenkins pulled his M5 back up before heading back to the driver's side.

"Alright sir everything looks in the clear have a safe trip wherever your going, ill let them know to let you in through gate."

"yes, yes thank you."

The batarian nodded while keeping a white grip on the steering wheel.

"gate squad to gate he's clean and cleared to go through."

"Rog opening barriers now."

Fighting to the east, what hell was he talking about?

Eastern side of Lorek, MAC-DMZ Group Charlie

There were those that operated among the dark recess of what was deemed acceptable conduct in times of war. Those who's real identities would never be known to the conventional ground pounders they masqueraded as alongside to fight an enemy they were unaware of in their midst. Renamed due to the massive expansion it had undergone under President spire task force 161 had been renamed military assistance command DMZ to work alongside regular troops during the ongoing combat operations throughout the batarian worlds. 10,000 men and women now wore the fabled skull and crossed rifles of those willing to do anything in the name of humanity.

LT commander David Anderson, former seal turned Special operations group had fought and bled for the last eight years in a fight none thought would ever end. To find details, clues, anything on the great enemy and to do anything to acquire it. He had killed hundreds alongside his former seal platoons, all of it to find scraps and pieces left behind by an alien civilization 50,000 years ago. These reapers, a foe which had exterminated a galaxy spanning empire had dabbled in humanities affairs at Shanxi in the hope of destroying the young empire. They had failed miserably, humanity now held the torch of being the top dog in this galaxy of backstabbers, bullies, and manipulators. Humanity would not sit down and accept its fate to being subservient to any alien for it would lead this galaxy to greatness whether it liked it or not, council be dammed.

Speaking of which the cocky bastards had attempted to land during a planetary invasion at an unknown Prothean site 20 miles east of the capitol. STG stealth "Frigates" had air dropped a dozen shuttles before being taking out by the navy. Possible Terrorist vessel is what the admiralty had designated them, now 3 graveyards of ships and personal orbiting in the planet's atmosphere. Onto the problem planeside it hadn't taken long for the small company sized element of Salarian marines to make their way to councils' research site. Intel taken from the OSI stated 15 researchers crewed the archeological dig and held minimal security elements other than Mechs. They were far enough away from any civilization to not be bothered by the less than desirable elements of the planet. Minutes after the shuttles had entered atmosphere, they'd raced through USEC navy fighters and army gunships to the dig site. 120 Salarians now held the USEC at bay for their prize, any intact Prothean data.

The Dig itself wasn't anything to spectacular, just an old mining shaft which had turned out to house ancient ruins. Ruins of an unknown nature unknown to the OSIs intel source and most likely the citadel. MAC would have this mine no matter what and if it took a little shuffling of batarian rebel elements than all the better. Have the two kill each other and then move it to take the reward, he had two platoons with 4th Brigade 11th Earth Infantry as back up for this op.

Hearing the flap to the Prefab tent open he turned toward the newcomer with hesitation, A full eagle. One would think being part of the most secretive unit in history would have its perks when it came to rank but when a full brigade commander walked into a room it still gave one a sense of unease. He was white, balding, and had a chest full of badges but he wore the 11th infantry division patch proudly.

"Lt Commander Anderson? Colonel Marion Berkheimer 11th Earth ID."

"Colonel I was aware I had been granted one of your battalions but if I may why are you out here sir? This is a MACV operation."

"had to make sure you spooks didn't throw my boys into the fire without any support, being a unit I've never heard of in 21 years of service, I'm not just going to trust a bunch of you black ops type with my boys."

"Alright than sir, some elements of the operation are beyond your AO as you must understand."

"Course, I won't step on your toes Lt commander I'm just here to observe."

"Of course sir."

Moving back to the holotable before him Anderson went over the plan in his head one more time. Having a full bird colonel looking over his shoulder wasn't helping but that wasn't going to faze the navy seal. This could be one of the most important operations of the campaign and if he allowed the officer to frazzle him then he wasn't cut out for MAC-DMZ. 4th brigade would create a 4-mile cordon around the target, the mine had been dug under a lower income neighborhood and the area was chock full of civilians. With the cordon in place the noose would tighten as batarian rebels would fight the army troopers in a losing gun battle. With the pressure on the rebels would fall back deeper and deeper into the neighborhood before coming upon the mine complex and hopefully heading inside to find safety. In doing so they would confront the Salarian marines and wind up in a massive gun battle where the MAC-DMZ would air assault in as take the objective. All in all, there would be no survivors form either the Council or batarian side and the OSI alongside MAC-DMZ would find Intel.

"Colonel you wouldn't happen to have some tear gas stocks, would you?"

2 Hours later, UD-113S callsign hammer

Looking down on the city below Anderson could only describe it in one word, hell. Tracers lit up the night sky and engines rumbled through the street as the noose tightened around the frantic batarian rebels. Fastback IFVs clogged the roads as USECA soldiers went house to house finding any and all rebels. His UCAVs feed showed a mass of thermal signatures closing on the open air mine and gunfire was already leaping out of its open entrance. Banking left suddenly Anderson looked to the ground to see just why the pilot had begun pulling evasive maneuvers. Artillery, human 155HE by the looks of it was landing amongst a group of buildings which looked like civilian dwellings. Gunfire was coming out of the windows at every point of the structure as the 155 rounds tore massive chunks off its frame. Fastbacks pulled up right out front and disgorged infantry while blasting the structure point blank with their 30MM autocannons. The fighting down there was hellish, and all of it was only a shade for what was really going on. Men fought, bled, and died down their to cover up the true purpose of this entire war. Neither Anderson, nor they knew that though, orders were orders and they would follow them to the letter that was all. "1 Minute."

The crew chief was walking amongst the 2 squads of MAC-DMZ operators crowding the troops bay before settling on his M7A4 Saw mounted in the side doorway. Pulling the charging handle back, the veteran crew chief was ready for what was below. 30 seconds out and Anderson peaked out the door to see the target, the gas should be hitting…...now. Poofs of white smoke which could only of been the tear gas he had requisitioned earlier exploded amongst the warring sides. The aircraft shuddered as power was diverted and thrusters turned, SPIES ropes flew out the door as the crew chief began firing his belt fed weapon into the ground below. Grabbing the rope Anderson made sure he was the first out the door. Feeling the tough nylon through his gloves, the weightlessness of falling entered his body. 5 seconds after jump he was on the ground, weapon up he scanned for hostiles while around him 4 other UD-113S ostriches deployed two platoons of MAC-DMZ operators. In his HUD, his sealed helmet alerted him to thermal contacts all around. Coughing their lungs out the batarian rebels couldn't fire a shot or open their eyes to the threats now within their midst.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Anderson looked to see the two squads of his chalk deployed and on the ground. Looking to the crew chief he flashed a thumbs up who flashed one in return before the bird began flying off. Now the real work began, already the platoons had begun the grizzly task of killing men who couldn't defend themselves incapacitated by the gas.

"Platoon leaders report."

"Headhunters standing by, dealing with locals."

"Rog, Boogeyman standing by doing the same."

"Looks like the Frogs have fallen back into the mine, Boogeymen I'm taking two of your squads with me into the mine, follow on after five minutes with the rest of your platoon. Headhunters, pull security unless called upon rog?"

"Rog."

"Rog."

"Boogeyman 1 and 2 with me."

Getting up off the knee the two squads entered a staggered column into the mine entrance. Anderson passed 20 or so bodies on the way in, cut down by the locals his plan had worked to a degree. Still though, taking on 100+ angry fogs and their scientist friends was going to be an audacious task. But they wouldn't be MAC-DMZ if they couldn't do it. Maps showed three main chambers made up the mine network. separated by 300-meter tunnel in between each's section it would be a slugfest to the deepest chamber which housed his prize. Rechecking his M5A4 he made sure the 31 rounds were seated in the weapon. 25 meters in and the first signs of the citadel's science team were found, Lights not of batarian design covered the ceiling. A makeshift security checkpoint unmanned other than a dead Salarian hunched over a biometric scanner. Anderson ordered the two squad into cover while he investigated the checkpoint. Moving beside the Salarians corpse the mechanism of death became obvious immediately. Gunshots covered the being's neck and back, going from his legs to his head someone had really wanted this guy dead. The biometric scanners were shot to bits as well, and what looked like a grenade had destroyed the terminal to operate them. Odd, the batarians hadn't made it this far into the mine, so who had killed this poor sap?

"Alright Charlie mike, I want thermals on and weapons ready something just doesn't feel right about this place."

To the outside viewer the helmets the MAC operators wore would like bug like in appearance. With eight different optical units spread throughout the front of the helmets it allowed a full 360 degrees of view to the wearer. It also made them look like bugs from the neck up but win some lose some. With white hot on Anderson continued the journey through the winding caverns as more and more destroyed citadel equipment became apparent. There were supposed to be 100 Salarians defending this place and they hadn't run into any save of the dead one for 200 meters, where they fuck did, they go? Coming upon the first chamber, his map showed it to be 150 meters across with another cave entrance on the other side. Equipment filled the 40-foot-high cavern from end to end. Crates and boxes marked with Turian, Asari, or salarian military decals covered every inch of the space with only a walkway through the mess as an avenue to get through.

"Getting a little creepier than my liking boss."

That was boogeyman 1, Staff Sergeant Leifer USECA Special forces.

"I don't like it either Leifer, but there is something down here OSI wants and what they want they get let's move column formation keep those muzzles up."

Anderson was the point man as usual, being a leader meant taking risk in the face of your men and he always preferred leading from the front. Thermal nods scanning all, the coldness of his surroundings shook him. The chill of this place just felt all wrong and a nagging sensation began to build at the back of his mind. Something wasn't right, something wrong had happened here and he was going to find it out one way or another.

"Contact."

The entire column of 25 people froze and went to a knee, the soldier who had called it out a Sergeant hearty highlighted the suspected contact on the local map. Anderson moved to hearty's position, cupping the mans shoulder Hearty pointed directly at what he found. Between two Turian Shipping containers something was hot, switching to NVGs to hopefully get a better look the primal instinct of fear lit up inside the Lt commander. 15 meters away something with bright blue eyes was staring him down through a mess of boxes. Neither side moved as Anderson stared directly at whatever the hell had held up his squads, the wrong feeling of it all was climbing inside of him, telling him to leave, get out while he still could. Pulling his weapon Anderson would end this thing whatever- a moment ago a creature of unknown origin stared down a navy Seal, now nothing. It was gone, not a sound heard inside the noise amplifying headsets of every operator inside this cave.

"What the fuck?"

Shaking the feeling of unease from himself Anderson moved back to the front of the column and signaled the advance. None of this made any sense, first the dead Salarian and now some creature in the dark, just what the hell was this. Reaching the end of the cavern the second 300-meter tunnel looked no different from the first. The rest of Boogeymen should have been entering the cave now on schedule. The lights were all off in this section, cracked open with glass lining the rock floor. Element of surprise be dammed the crunching of the small fragments was quite the annoyance in the sound echoing walls of a cave. 300 meters passed away in minutes as the second chamber came into view.

Here was the real hub of the council dig, where the first cavern had been the supply room this held the research station and control centers. They had even replaced the rock floor with white plastid, in every direction dozens of terminals and tables housed the scientific side of this archeological dig. A barracks at the corner of the cavern stood two stories high with a ramp leading to the second floor. They would have to clear this room if they were to move on, 100 men just didn't disappear down here they had to of gone somewhere.

"2 Check the barracks, 1 reconnoiter the terminals and see if there's anything to grab."

"Rog"

"Rog"

Anderson closed with the closest terminal, inserting the OSI tablet given to every MAC operator the device sprung to life, downloading every bit of data off the rig. Deciphered easy enough, it all looked like situation and video reports sent to somewhere off world. A Doctor Lasha had overseen this operation, interesting. The glass on the second story barracks shattered, through it a Salarian jumped from the second story and made off for the exit Anderson had just come from. Moving to intercept, Staff Sergeant Leifer tackled the sprinting salarian. Anderson was on the pair in movements as the squirming frog man attempted to eject himself from the humans grasp to no avail. Then the screaming began.

"PLEASE NO PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE YOU PLEASE I JUST WANT TO BE ME PLEASE!"

"What the- down fucker, what the fuck is he talking about."

"PLEASE MAKE THE VOICES STOP, JUST MAKE THEM STOP PLEASE!"

Leifer looked to Anderson who though couldn't see under his helmet knew shared his look of what the fuck.

"Sir, if he keeps this up he will alert if he hasn't already the rest of his compadres."

"neutralize the frog."

Planting a knee into the back of the squiring Salarian, Leifer extracted his knife from his vest and placed it at the base of the neck. Stabbing down through the spine into the throat the squirming ceased as all major nerve function stopped in the now dead Salarian.

"2, is their anymore surprises you would like to inform us about before they crash through more windows?"

"negative team one burst in and scared the frog out the window, rest of the building is empty save for personal effects."

"Roger that regroup with me and one were moving deeper."

"Rog"

Looking back at the dead Salarian, the words he had used made the nagging in his mind explode. Just what the fuck had happened here to make this bastard literally go insane. Moving to the front of the column once more he gestured the advance forward. Maps showed the third chamber to be of vastly different size and space. After coming out of the tunnel they should be overlooking a cavern 50 meters deep and 200 meters across. The citadel teams had installed a lift to move material and personal out of the site so they could use it for the same purpose. 300 meters of broken lights and nothingness later they entered the cavern. The overlook gave him an ample picture of just what the citadel had found. It was purple? That didn't seem like Prothean tech, it was a swirly type device shaped like a human tooth almost. Andersons two squads set up their weapons to overlook down below where they finally found the missing marines. They were praying. From 50 meters up it looked like they were somehow praying to the device in a half circular group of flesh as all bowed their heads to the device covering the room in an odd purple glow.

"November 7, this is boogeyman actual we have just crossed into the first cavern. Encountered some type of creature observing us from in between the crates orders?"

"Boogeymen actual rog, we have OPFOR in sight need you to expedite movement to my position now."

"Rog November we are Charlie, what the fuck, oh shit open fire! OPEN FUCKING FIRE WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!"

All operators of MAC-DMZ were the best of the best humanity could offer. Boogeyman actual was a ten-year special forces captain who had served on campaigns across five worlds. Something had just over the radio, thrown real fear into the man's voice. The same primal fear Anderson had fell earlier upon seeing the blue-eyed creature.

"Boogeyman come in, boogeymen come in goddammit what the fuck is going on back there."

The booms of hand grenades and pops of weapons fire echoed throughout the cavern.

"Uh Sir, problem"

"What is it Leifer?"

"Their looking right at us."

Anderson froze at hearing the uncertainty in Leifer's words, peering over the lip of the rock outcropping he indeed understood the Staff sergeant's hesitation. A hundred glowing blue eyes stared at the 2 squads of humans who had dared violate their space, not speaking a word. Andersons helmet cam would record all of this, knowing the OSI it was probably live streaming to whatever agent oversaw this operation. 100 Salarian marines plus their scientist detail moved forward as one at impossible speeds. Primal screams of rage alongside the unholy moans rocked the MAC-DMZ operators to the core.

"Open fire!"

Tracers, grenade launchers, machine guns, it all opened on the mass of flesh moving at the two squads of soldiers. Bullets tore arms, scythed in half bodies, or just dealt wounds that would mortally wound any sane man as the horde kept coming. Hitting the wall Anderson thought they were safe, the scraping sounds seconds later proved he was wrong. Peering over, the distorted face of what had once been an Asari shrieked inside the cavern, penetrating his helmet he grabbed his earphones to hopefully muffle the screams.

"Get the fuck back, get the fuck back now! We are falling back! Squads move in tandem! 1 you're up first suppress those motherfuckers!"

As 2nd squad fell back 1st set up on line 15 meters away from the rock crevice, heads began to clamber into view as Anderson and first let loose with another volley of tungsten. A target rich environment, every bullet he fired, every grenade somebody threw, and every belt the SAWs spit out killed or maimed one of these abominations.

"1 SET 2 FALL BACK NOW!"

Disengaging 2nd squad sprinted 50 meters down the tunnel into the waiting arms of 1st squad already on line. Passing through the firing line 2nd set up right behind the new defenders. Anderson pulled a fresh magazine from his vest and inserted it into his empty weapon, ammo counter reading 30 he was ready to fight again. 1st was already firing, looking through the bodies of his men, the disgusting forms of former Salarians almost made him sick. Blue lines of some type of light crisscrossed their bodies, their eyes shined with mechanical implants their hands had turned to elongated claws, what the fuck had happened here.

"1 falling back!"

"Roger!"

The dance of falling back firing, falling back firing continued for another ten minutes as the soldiers made their way out of the mine. Reaching the 1st Cavern once again Anderson was the first to see what had become of boogeyman. Bodies shredded; blood covered the stone floor with blackened pockmarks marking where grenades had detonated. Corpses were everywhere with helmets and armor torn off alongside the flesh of their wearers. Reaching down, a helmet with Captain bars told Anderson he had found the SF commander.

"Headhunters do you copy?"

"Sir, what the fucking fuck us coming out of that goddam mine! I've got blue fucking frogs killing my fucking men what the fuck is going on!"

"Hold that position headhunter, I've got two squads still in here and were on the way out just hold on!"

"Roger, I'm calling up some regular guys now or where not going to be able to hold!"

"Just do whatever it takes to hold that position!"

"Rog!"

"1st, 2nd with me now we are laying claymores and getting the fuck out of here!"

Placing the laser activated anti personal mines, the squad engineer gave the thumbs up when the moans began from deeper in the cavern. Looking in his NVGs toward the twisted turn once more, Anderson found a hand with foot long claws grabbing the edge of the corner wall. Not willing to stare any longer he only caught a glimpse of the Asari abomination from earlier screeching into his ears once more.

"FUCKING RUN!"

Anderson had never sprinted so hard in his entire life, he'd been a College track star at one point, a navy seal, and then a TF 161 operator, and now under MAC-DMZ he thought he was the fastest man in the universe. The detonation of four claymore land mines behind told him they were closing, around him the two squads he had entered with ran just as fast from the closing tide of flesh.

"HEADHUNTER TWO SQUADS COMING OUT HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

"ROG SIR!"

The light of day entered his vison once more, the light at the end of a very dark tunnel and that was outside. The first sight which he would later admit was the greatest thing in the world to ever meet his eyes were the guns of four Fastback IFVs. An entire company or regular army infantry stared down the fleeing squads of MAC operators before refocusing on the blue lightshow appearing out of the tunnel entrance. Just as Anderson reached the front of the eight-foot-tall armored giants their chain guns belched fire into the cave. Looking back he saw limbs and bodies go flying as his pursuers died under the withering fire of a hundred men and women of the USEC army. 20 seconds of continuous fire sounded the end of the walking monstrosities which had murdered his men. Hand on knees and coughing up a lung Anderson felt the hand grip his shoulder and the screaming of headhunter in his ear.

"Sir what in the ever-living fuck was that! I just lost 5 fucking guys against whatever the fuck that was, what the hell did you find down their!"

"get everyone the fuck out of here right now headhunter, were getting a Loki strike."

Standing up, Anderson moved to the closest fastback and opened the command panel on its back ramp.

"Open up its Lt commander Anderson MAC-DMZ."

"Uhhh, yes sir?"

The hydraulics of the 2-ton door were masked by the still firing platoon of infantry as Anderson strolled inside the cramped IFV.

"Get me on your brigade frequency right now, I don't give a fuck who it pisses off."  
"yes sir, here you go."

The Sgt in charge of the track handed Anderson his helmet. Removing his own Anderson went straight for Colonel Berkheimer's personal line.

"Colonel Berkheimer."

"Who the fuck who is this?"

"November 7, order your brigade out of the city right fucking now."

"Ex scuse fucking me Lt commander but last I checked I don't work for you, now I've got these four eyed fucks on the run and you will not halt my advance good day."

"Colonel I'm ordering a LOKI strike on the mine; it would be very helpful for your men not to be in the blast radius."

"A Loki strike what the fuck! How did you get that clearance!"

"Colonel there are things at work here you do not understand, now get your men the fuck out of here you have 15 minutes."

Pulling off the helmet to end the conversation, Anderson handed it back to the Sergeant before redonning his own.

"November 7 to gold eagle code foxtrot, code foxtrot."

**Note**\- and the reapers return


	17. Chapter 17

OSI SIT REPORT

CLASSIFICATION TOP SECRET G18 EYES OR HIGHER ONLY

SUBJECT: GWOT SITREP

TO: BLACKBIRD 6

At the writing of this document current intel estimates put resistance faltering within 11 months and total USEC control of eastern DMZ in 14. Initial shock and awe campaign across 20 worlds have allowed the USEC full aerial and orbital dominance with current rebel casualty estimates at 17,000,000. SEE ATTACHED VIDEO (MASS GRAVES) Key points highlighted below.

Cracking of planet DIS

Resurgence of BFIA

MACDMZ-SOG operations

USEC Casualties

Council supply to rebels

The planet of Dis lies in the jar tar system in the southwestern zone of the DMZ, allocated to Fleet Admiral harper of the 3rd Fleet OSI estimates had put the population at 2.3 million batarian inhabitants. Daisy cutters were used on the jungle planet to create firebases and FOBs through the dense jungles surrounding the cities. After bombing runs conducted by navy bombers the 34th Luna marines landed planeside on the first available firebases setting up prefab structures to await a rebel counterattck. What this office and every intelligence asset in the field failed to recognize was the religious fever gripping the entire population. Within two hours of the marines landing orbital recon satellites detected movement across 78% of local population. SEE ATTACHED VIDEO. Human wave attacks reminiscent of the 1st colonial war threw back the 34th Marines resulting in a rout across half a continent. With the first wave in disarray and the population all termed combatants, Fleet Admiral Harper authorized use of LOKI orbital weapons platforms across the entire planet. 2 hours after first strike the Planet had been deemed lost.

Resurgence of the BFIA.

During the Batarian civil war the faction known as the BFIA had started out as a freedomist anti slave movement with the goal of reuniting the empire under its democratic rule. 8 years after its conception the original leaders of this moment are all KIA and infighting has taken over any real semblance of order. With the invasion of the destined 20 worlds, faction leaders are putting old grudges away in the face of foreign occupation. OSI has prioritized leaders for UCAV strikes.

SEE ATTACHED LIST

MACDMZ-SOG

The military assistance command demilitarized zone special operations group has achieved great success following the galactic war on terrorism. Discovery of the Lorek device, capture of a major Citadel researcher, and discovery of evidence has allowed this office to piece together all recovered intel on the great enemy. Now classified as "Reapers" the physical form of the enemy had not yet been discovered, their ability to turn other beings to their cause if most disturbing. Other than the Lorek device, no other Protehan archaeological sites have revealed the nature of our enemy.

USEC Casualties

The following list includes Corps level casualty reports and naval losses following the initial invasion.

USS John Hampton FF-231 Lost with all hands

USS Cranberry DD-456 Lost with all hands

USS William Morley FF-265 Lost with all hands

USS Zula Prviik DD-321 Lost with all hands

Earth 1st Corps 12,378 KIA

Martian 35th Corps 11,762 KIA

Luna 89th Corps 16,992 KIA

Luna 73rd Marine Division 1,324 KIA

Martian 456th Marine Division 458 KIA

Earth 1st Marine Division 389 KIA

Luna 34th Marine division 5,374

MACDMZ-SOG 24

USEC casualties so far have been comparably light compared to OSI estimates of a 60% casualty rate. Batarian overconfidence, poor leadership, and infighting has allowed USEC commanders to divide and conquer rivaling war bands during the invasion, pacing the way for USEC landings.

Council supply operations to Batarian rebels

At the outbreak of war, it was known to this office that the citadel council would do anything in its power to stop USEC advances in the region. Freighters registered in council spectres names have been intercepted leaving three relays inbound for occupied worlds. Marines from blockading battlegroups have boarded and destroyed all found to be carrying weapons but the implications of these ships being here in the first place begs the question as to just how far the citadel will go.

SIGNED

MARK SPIRE

OSI DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

FOR EARTH AND ALL HER COLONIES

Putting down her glass of ice brady, President Sharon spire went over the attached videos and documents of her husband's report. The invasion had been a complete success in the eyes of the USEC population, with total dominance achieved in 20-star systems. The navy, marines, and army had taken casualties but that was to be expected in an mutli system spanning war where the enemy numbered in the millions if not billions. Usage of chemical, orbital, and kinetic weapons had slashed any major resistance, allowing the ground element to sweep the survivors away. Looking past the invasion for what the future military and political quagmire it would become she could see the reasons for all of it by looking at a Lt commander Andersons helmet cam.

The unspeakable horrors that were former Salarians turned into synthetic hybrids with no care for pain or each other was terrifying. The still image of a Salarian mid step as it bared its teeth and claws sent chills down her spine that no horror movie could ever achieve. Thank god for the men which had the will to fight such monsters, if Shepard was right, they would need a lot more for what was to come. Speaking of.

"Mrs. President, general Shepard is here to see you."

"Good, send him in Marissa."

Door opening, the green digital uniform bearing the 3 stars of a lieutenant general met her eyes.

"General Shepard good to see you, how are your grandchildren?"

"The twins are in military school now and loving the hell out of it if their mother has anything to say about it, how about yourself Mrs. President?"

"Yes, well myself and mark were looking for vacation spots for when the war dies down, I heard Actus is bright and sunny this time of year."

Taking a seat across form her oak desk, the older man pulled a cigar out of his pocket.

"Do you mind?"

"None at all."

Lighting the tobacco laced product, the general took two puffs before looking back to Sharon.

"We have done so much more than we could of ever dreamed, irrefutable evidence of the reapers with the bonus of creating a buffer between human worlds and the Xeno."

"This war will be a long one General, it will most likely out live my administration and we do not know if the next person to share this desk will have my views."

Taking another puff, Shepard brought his watch up and began going over possible front runners of the next election.

"To go against the war now would be political suicide, we won't have to deal with any possible detractors for another five years or so. Then the occupation will be in full swing and we will have a test of humanities will."

Leaning back in her chair, Sharon took another swig of ice brandy before speaking the horrible thoughts going through her mind.

"Can they take it? This war will be out of the honeymoon phase when thousands of coffins come home draped in the flag and I do not know If the human people are willing to die for a bunch of Aliens."

"Nothing comes without sacrifice, now we bear the fruits of our ill-gotten gains and we prepare for what is to come. Nothing must come before humanities defense to what is out their Mrs. President. With war comes jobs, a new defense contract will quiet any who do not support the war, money equals votes and right now we need all we can get."

Sigh.

"How long do you think this will go on, we cannot lead the public forever with this false notion of defending ourselves against the alien. When can we tell them?"

Looing over the information cataloged on his watch, Shepard let out a breath of air before speaking.

"A couple of pictures and videos that look like any semi respectable CGI shop made will not do, when we have the evidence it is our duty to tell the people."

"That we can agree general Shepard."

USEC/Citadel embassy Relay 314

Looking out past the great glowing blue object floating at the edge of this system floated his home, his people, and their eventual grave. It took only days for the armies of this galaxy to end what had taken years to build, where families had once ran through the fields of his beautiful planet now stood a nuclear winter slowly killing the alien "refugees" which had tainted this world. Straightening his coat, the anger in his mind flashed on his face with a grimace as in the glass of the window he saw an Asari coupled with a turian fast approaching. In all the places available to this station he had not found one where he could hide from the xenos, being the ambassador for humanity he guessed he could see why they were always after him. The almost 80-year-old Asian man could pass for fifty at this point in his life, gene therapy and medical science had made sure the average human lifespan only grew every year.

To the thousand-year-old Asari it didn't seem like much, but to Phing Giap. Former governor of Shanxi and now ambassador to the citadel for all of humanity, seeing the youthfulness recover his face was the only bright spot in his day. And here comes the darkness entering his mind as to what to do with these things…

"Ambassador Giap! Ambassador Giap why do you continue to hide when we have extremely important matters to discuss."

Stopping five feet short of the smaller Asian man, the bird like turian dressed in orange and his Asari counterpart in purple took up a look of annoyance with the human. Turning toward the pair, Giap regarded both with complete disdain for what their kind had done to his world.

"I was pondering the latest political developments inside the so called "Citadel zone" and wondering why the navy is having to blockade or destroy so many freighters escaping your fleets?"

Everyone this side of 314 knew of the citadels tactics when it came to dealing with an enemy that could depose their regime. Subversion, guerilla tactics, relying on the most horrible weapons imaginable to continue their empire for another day. The Asaris focus on diplomacy was never lost on those who's responsibility was dealing with the smooth-talking blue skins daily. The power of time was their main weapon in any exchange of words but with the USEC blowing the timescale out of the water with its movements everywhere, the alien had to devise different tricks. That being to act as annoying as possible to the human in an effort to slow down or at least stop the armadas currently laying waste to worlds which did not submit to the boots of humanity. Giap had to admit to himself he was an extremely racist man towards the aliens of this galaxy, but when you lost 20,000 of your people to their hordes it's kind of put things in perspective.

"I as in the Asari government do not know what you are speaking about but your navies continued use of orbital weaponry on civilian must end now! There are millions dying because you wish to play these childish games on this station and stop the political process of negotiation through just not showing up Ambassador!"

Taking his turn to pipe in the turian ignited his omni tool and began to play a video for Giap to see.

"As you can see this video was recorded by survivors of one of your military actions. The citadel council will no longer stand for such behavior and will act if it must in the protection of the innocent."

Giap recognized the world immediately, it had been in his daily briefing given by the OSI just days ago. Dis, the only batarian world which had successfully thrown off a USEC landing and caused casualties in the 50% area for some units. The recording wasn't all that good with it being taken through the glass of a starships hull, he could barely make out the Obama Class carriers alongside their escort fleets bearing down on the planet. With 7 flashes of white light erupting along the atmosphere, the telltale use of kinetic energy rods doomed the planet below. Flashbacks of Shanxi entered his mind, the radio filled with the screams of dying men fighting to their last breath in his mansion. The harsh voice of General Williams sending out orders in the last minutes of his life to men who did not answer his call.

"Tusker 4-4 what is the status of your platoon over!"

"Tusker 4-4! Sierra 6 report! Anvil report! Is anyone fucking alive out their!"

"If you can hear this, then your all that's left out there, fall back to the mansion proper now… and if you can't move but can still hear this message then for humanity hold the alien back, for earth!"

10 minutes later his planet would shake at its very core as thousands died upon the surface, back to reality the rods had just struck the surface and the familiar angry red of magma had breached the crust. Red lines of molten rock had spread out from the detonation sites spanning an entire continent, in the audio he could hear the screams of what had to be batarian in the background. The video ended with the sun barley scraping the horizon of the planet and the hundreds of human ships filling the black void of space.

"Do you see now human; do you see why we must object to this war you have declared on the batarian people. This cannot stand, we as in the speakers to the councilors of this galaxy demand answers for these many nefarious acts you have committed upon the people of this galaxy!"

Of course, it would be the turian to be as demeaning as possible to the race which had put a boot in their ass. The wounds of the first contact war were still open for every turian which had ever served, seeing their kind burning to death and choking on chemical munitions would do that.

"I believe you fail to realize, turian it was not humanity who declared this war but the fanatics, terrorist, and those who bear ill will to humanity that declared it upon Shanxi's surface a month ago. 50,000 people melting in the atomizing fire of a nuclear weapon require a response that is equally earth shaking and if a planet or two must be cracked to break the will of the batarian people then so be it. What you see as a blatant misuse of military assets is mercy upon those who have defied our will. We will not bow to your senseless rules which cover the act of killing another being to further their own goals, to do so is stupid and show where your minds lie in the area of conflict. If you have nothing more to discuss other than freighters currently being held at gunpoint by the USECN than good day ambassadors."  
The Asari was speechless, mouth held open she quickly regained her composure. The turian was not so much, mandibles flared why, the anger at this disgusting ape in front of him who openly defied his peoples will flashed in his eyes. To insult not just him, but his people was an act that would not go…

"Then if we must Ambassador Giap we will be taking our leave. Good day."

Palaven, Headquarters of Turian 76th Black watch Battalion.

Their was that phantom itch again, the feeling of having a real flesh and blood arm hanging on his side. Brushing has hand across the metal copy the turian medical services had so graciously given him, he remembered as to why the reason he was here in the first place. The humans and their war in the DMZ were reaching a fever pitch, to counter the rapid assaults across twenty system it had taken the combined might of the citadel months to prepare a counter. To allow the humans free reign in the DMZ would be political suicide for the status que and they would not allow this blatant disregard for their security. Rumors were spreading like wildfire across all ranks, from the highest general to the lowest private as to what operations the citadel had prepared for their armies. The treaty of farixen was now out the window, the pictures of hundreds of human ships blocking relays was more than enough for the council to disregard the ancient law in favor of standing up to the interstellar foe.

Saren looked over his dress uniform one more time to reassure himself he didn't look like an idiot in front of his future battalion commander. First contact service medal, BDMZ service medal, combat action ribbon with gold stars, and to top it off the small pin denoting him as a member of the elite turian special forces. After Shanxi and the mess the first contact war had made of the galaxy he had served in the 118th Legion on the peacekeeping missions all along the citadel border. Those first years had been rough, massacres, genocide on a scale never seen in the better parts of the galaxy, and all around slaughter made up his first deployment into the dark zone. Constant patrols into the cities where nervous batarians watched as the front runners of the civil war duked it out with the councils best where a daily occurrence. He had at least two dozen under his belt from that deployment alone and that was before he had gone black watch.  
With blackwatch, his life had taken a route his brother would be ashamed of him to see. Hit squads, targeted mass killings and all manner of deeds needed to pacify the worlds designated by high command. He had joined to make the galaxy better and his family proud but, now he just felt empty inside. This constant war where a dozen men and women died every day in some shithole only to make the politicians back home feel cozy inside was getting to him. It was getting to all of them, being a senior NCO now he heard the complaints and gripes from the officers around him. Talk of how Asari and salarian officers threw turian lives away as of they were nothing in mass charges meant to make good movie reels back home. How intelligence given to them by the STG had turned faulty and hundreds were captured and then videoed being gunned down by terrorist. That hadn't been the worst of it though, not even close to the video put out just a week ago on the extranet.

An Asari commando, commander of a joint SF operation on Arahtoht to kill or capture a former BFIA warlord had gone to shit. The Asari had turned on her own, pledging her loyalty to eclipse in the middle of a major engagement she had allowed the BFIA commander to flank her company in exchange for 20 million credits and service to her new masters. The mixture of batarian, krogan, and vorcha had swarmed over the 120 men and women like bugs to a pile of shit. 10 hours later a single video was uploaded to the extranet of a young turian bound to a chair. Private Jacobus, he had only served for a year before his capture and the camera highlighted just how young and terrified he was as he sat bound to the chair. His former commander entered the frame behind him, awash in biotic power she stared straight into the camera before speaking.

"I Tristana Shilah pledge my loyalty to the sisters of eclipse, in doing so I must take a life for my new sisterhood in exchange for the right to wear the armor of the sun."

Bending over the now shaking turian, the Asari whispered in the now crying turians ear before coming back up and pulling a knife from her belt.

"No longer will I bear the shackles of the citadel council, now I embrace my life as a member of a sisterhood so greater than any known!"

In a flash she had grabbed the turian by his head fringe and began sawing the turians neck, blue blood spurted between her fingers as the choking breaths of the turian all but filled the videos audio. Turians, being a race with a scaly exoskeleton took more work than the average creature of the galaxy and after 2 minutes of muffled chokes and the screams of the asari it was over. Pulling the head itself free of the leftover skin and scales, Shilah displayed the head in her grasp for the camera too see in all its blood-soaked glory. The turians eyes were still open, locked in its death stare as the Asari began her speech once again.

"I am eclipse and this fate will befall all those who dare stand in our way!"

Coming back to the present, Saren realized he had been opening and closing his hands as he awaited his meeting. The audible groaning of metal was drawing the attention of his fellow turians who were working in the headquarters building. Hearing the door open to his left he saw two officers walk out as another poked their head through the opening.

"Sergeant Arterius, Commander Victus would like you to come in."

"Moving Sir."

The turian who had called him in directed him to another door which upon entering a five-foot radius began to scan him.

"Arterius, Saren. 445th Blackwatch command. You are cleared to enter."

The site which befell his eyes did little to help his confidence as he entered the office of one commander Adriun Victus. War trophies dotted the walls with pictures denoting when and where they were taken. A Krogan battle hammer, a batarian slave whip, and even a human M5A1 assault rifle all eluded to his new commander being very experienced in his field. The man himself sat behind his terminal as saren approached and went to attention.

"Have a seat Sergeant."

Not being the by the book commander Saren had dealt with for the last eight years was a good first start. His last commander would have spoke to him while he stood they're at attention for hours, so far so good.

"Saren Arterius, first contact war veteran and peacekeeper for the last eight years in that shit hole we call the DMZ. Record looks good to me but we all know why its taken eight years for you to make Senior NCO."

The shame of his family name had been the biggest roadblock in his career, the failings of his brother eight years ago weighed heavily on the younger arterius and his commanders had taken out their anger on him. The anger at loosing to the apes across the galaxy and failing to bring them to heel had been their reasons, but he knew that battle would have never of been won no matter how many bodies high command had sent. They were not there, they didn't hear the choking coughs of his men, or the sensation of feeling your own arm burned off….

"The reason I requested you in my battalion sergeant is I need a pair of eyes that knows war. Knows it like the back of his hand and can throw off the chains of the by the book view in exchange for maneuverability on the battlefield. For the last eight years we have failed not just ourselves but the whole galaxy for the dumpster fire it has become, and we have allowed our enemy to only grow. You on the other hand have showed a quirk for not listening to the old ways and adapting the tactics of our adversaries. That chemical strike you used in Kar'tan raised a few brows in the SF community."

Saren could recall it like it was yesterday, using an industrial chemical to weed out a tunnel network being used by slavers had been a given. Civilians casualties had been 100% but so had the terrorist.

"Are you familiar with the human Military assistance command or MAC for short sergeant?"

"I have heard of the name before on worlds close to the human occupation zone, but other than passing conversation I have heard nothing else."

"What if I told you the war on Shanxi never ended, what if I told you the humans have massacred citadel research teams sent into the DMZ for the last eight years in the search for prothean artifacts?"

"Sir, the humans have no need for prothean technology when they already surpass it. Why would they feel the need to attack us when there is no goal in site unless?"

"They are looking for something lieutenant, something we have missed at every areological find of the last 2,000 years and they are looking for it in the DMZ. Massacring our teams was just a coverup for what's really going on here and my battalion has been tasked with finding out just what this is. Our adversary in this quest is a human which had stayed under the radar of both the STG and Hierarchy intelligence for the last eight years, here is his file."

Council intelligence on anything past relay 314 was spotty at best, with no direct access to servers or major population centers anything found could not be accredited. Shanxi at the time had been a major hotspot for intel and counter intel but with the USEC invasion, information was now one hundred times easier to come by with unsecure connections everywhere. Pulling up his omni tool the scarred and whetherd face of a white human male crossed his screen. One of those green berets with 3 stars stood out to the Turian before he looked upon the mans service record. To say it stretched his entire arm would be an understatement as most of the info found was blacked out or redacted.

"Lieutenant General Shepard, commanding officer of Military assistance command. 3-star general in the USEC army he has been awarded the medal of honor for his service. This is the man which we face commander?"

"He is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes and STG intel in scared shitless about how much of that file is still blacked out. His subordinates follow along the same lines of the unknown except for a certain officer you have been tasked with finding and capturing, sending you the notes now."

A commander David Anderson, USECN navy seal and current member of MAC-DMZ-SOG.

"I see the notes here commander but what I don't see is how we even know of this man or his mission."

Pressing a button in his terminal, Commander Victus brought up a video for the younger turian to see. It was a batarian world for sure, the destroyed buildings and all around feeling of ash could be nowhere else. A convoy of USEC vehicles entered the screen as a rocket impacted the first vehicle, bursting out of the armored doors the familiar armor and headgear of the humans could be picked out a mile away. All bore the same T visored look except for the brown face of a single human in the sea of black. Zooming in it became obvious who the target was.

"This was taken after a raid by human troops upon a citadel research station, they had just come back from massacring 124 personnel including a spectre to retrieve a single researcher. He had been with the unit since its inception and that is why he Is our key to unraveling this whole mess."

Looking over the details, manifest, and budget Saren could see all the appeal in the world.

"So, when does the hunt begin?"

CVL-43 USS-Stellen, in slip space transit.

Daro'Xen was shaking with excitement as she traversed the halls of this massive ship with her sorta cute looking guards. She was finally going home! The humans had told her of this just minutes ago of how they were reuniting all the quarians found int eh DMZ with their people once more and the pure ecstasy of it all was blowing her away. Sure, she had been captured by the ruffians in black but for the last couple months she had had the time of he life working with USEC personnel in finding new technological leaps and bounds her people were known for thin the fields of engineering.

She wondered what had ever happened to that Asari she had been captured with but that was all in the past now she was going home! Almost jumping with joy, she could see her guards flinch with every erratic movement as they traversed the massive decks chock full of more humans in blue digital camo. They were navy, while her marines in their green and browns were the ground pounders who hit worlds. She found all this out during her stay aboard a ship jut like this one devoted to research and development, she had even worked alongside other quarians who had been deemed acceptable by the OSI. Most talked of horror stories serving four eyed masters and she could only listen to what was almost her fate if it hadn't been for the humans. Whole they had been toiling away she had been catching the eye of her fellow researchers but that was here nor there, she had served willingly and not in the chains of slavery.

Entering an elevator, the four marines sent with her surrounded her in a diamond formation as she felt the shudder of decent. The first thing that caught her attention was the radio on the back of the marine to her front. The way the wires linked directly to his Kevlar helmet and the way he filled out the uniform sure made her mind wander. Stopping herself, she realized how much the humans had grown on her and how she was now looking for respective mates of all things among their ranks. Sure she had worked with them but that didn't mean they accepted her at all, she was still an alien aboard a human ship of course and some accepted her more than others. Some being a certain lieutenant commander who had invited her to his quarters to catch a glimpse of what was under that mask…

Doors opening the scene before her almost made her knees shudder and a tiny squeak erupted form her vocalizer. Their had to be hundreds if not thousands of quarians all chit chatting and passing the time in the fighter bay. Among the crowds she could pick out more groups of marines patrolling the crowd but none showed any visible signs of hostility. She was just about to stop eye balling it all when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Mam, are you ok?"

"Oh yes, I just, I can't believe your government is doing this for us it just seems so unreal."

"The USEC has no ill will toward the quarrian people Ms, now please step off the elevator."

"Oh yes of course, thank you corporal."

"You have a good day now mam, stay safe."

She watched the smiling face of the human until the door closed, something was off. It was in the air and for some reason she just couldn't grasp at to what had changed in the last five or so seconds. Turning around to her people it slammed into her like a space shuttle leaving atmosphere. Every single quarrian inhabiting the fighter bay had stopped speaking and now stared directly at her.

"Um, hello?

CODEX

USECN Obama Class super carriers- developed after the first contact war, the navy saw a need for a carrier which could throw bombers at fighter out it bays at lightning speeds while also having the armor of a battleship. 2 years later the first keel was laid in the Martian shipyards as the Obama class of super carriers began leaving the docks for the fleet. The 4.5-kilometer-long ships come equipped with better AIs, new classified armor rumored to be able to take a direct nuke hit, and reverse engineered kinetic barriers. Total crew stands at 15,000 a carrying capacity for 400 aircraft and the storage of 12 LOKI KER satellites.

Blackwatch- Turian green berets, sorta.

I want to get out of this interwar period already and get to the reapers but more blood is needed for the blood god.


	18. Chapter 18

Dar'Lash, Camp 221 Occupation +5 Months

Fila Vas Bayur, citadel new network reporter and now prisoner in all but name trudged through the dirt roads she now called home. Human craft thundered on by, snipers visible in the open side door bays surveying the crowd of refugees below as the trucks holding the life saving food came to a park in the camps center. Apparently massive tent cities like this one were now common all across this war-torn world, with millions of "Xenos" as the humans called them bundled up in razor wire and pre-fabricated houses. Everyday thousands or when it really called for it hundreds of thousands of people were marched to the cities the humans destroyed to rebuild their future homes. Hundreds died by the day be it from malnutrition or crime, but their new overlords didn't care, they only cared that deadlines were met by the workforce given to them after their victory.

The invasion in its entirety had been successful, the people suffered for their former governments ideals years after its downfall under orders of leaders long dead. Being a Quarian didn't help her much among the crowd, Brutus and Brinus had stood by her though thank the ancestors. If not for them she would have been raped, tortured and never seen again long ago. Today was her day on the schedule to go to the food shipment and collect their daily rations, tomorrow they were slated to work in the city and they would need the calories badly. She was nearish to the front and could barely see the humans standing high on the armored trucks. She had heard from some of the soliders these vehicles were called "5 tons", 6 wheeled trucks meant for ferrying cargo to and from the battlefields that had been repurposed for food delivery in the civilian's zone. She pushed and shoved her way to the front until she heard the bullhorn, a ruff human voice announcing something in their animalistic voices.

"Xenos and other Xenos stand back from the trucks, Security personnel are going to dismount and create a cordon, after that you may line up in 4 lines by protein type to receive your daily rations!"

Then the shouting began, people with bellies aching for food and those who had families to feed where always the worst in these situations. Uncaring if they lived or died so long as they provided for themselves or the people that relied on them. Looking to the sky she saw the humans usual tactic was once again being used, two of their Ostrich dropships were circling like birds of prey, the Snipers looking right into he crowd while the crew chief on the doors sat idly by spinning the barrels on their door mounted miniguns. Usually this brought the crowd down, cowered out of their hunger by the threat of death from above.

Today was different, the air itself was different, the people were not moving away from the trucks if anything they were getting closer as if egging the soldiers to open fire. The humans were bringing their rifles up now, pointed not five feet from the crowd their had to be less than 20 guarding the two trucks slated to feed this sector. What was throwing them into a frenzy? Why were the people acting like this when they had dealt with this same situation before and been just okay with it? Now trying to back away from the crowd of what had to be a thousand as quickly as possible Fila activated her last resort.

"Brutus, Brinus I need help right now!"

The face of both turians, in their red face paint entered the small video screen on her Omni tool.

"What's wrong Fila, what's with all the screaming?"

"Everyone in a frenzy, their trying to provoke the military I need help out of here now."

"Were on our way, just hold up somewhere and turn on your transponder, we will come and get you."

"Alright, just please hurry!"

Their was nowhere to run, surrounded by the thousand or so people in the camps square she was huddled along with the rest of the agitators. A shot fired, near the front, it had to of been a warning shot as the crowd dissipated only slightly. Families were starting to pull their children away now, barreling through the crowd. She tried with all her might to push her own way through the crowd to safety, but the masses began to push her into the wrong direction, toward the guns. The shouting was reaching a fever pitch at this point, batarians were growling at the soldiers who were backed up to their own trucks. 3 or so feet separated the masses from those who had destroyed their world and it looked like they were ready to take their revenge.

Depending on what side of the great divide you stood on, you would hear two different stories from two radically different groups as to how the Camp 221 massacre began. On one the bloodthirsty human soldiers still angered over the Shanxi bombing opened fire of hapless refugees in further revenge for their people. On the other a single helmet cam relayed to billions of TVs spanning the entirety of human space were all that was needed to tell the story. A male batarian wearing the remnants of a military inform slashed at a USEC soldier, ripping the mans forearms with his claws. The NCO to his left muzzle struck the batarian to push the offender back who in response rushed with three of his buddies at the striking soldier. Grabbing at the NCOs weapon there was a struggle until the NCO switched his rifle to full auto and fired into his three attackers.

Silence reverberated amongst the crowd at the gunshots, those that had been screaming and shouting moments ago looking to the scene before them. Three batarians lay dead and a single human's uniform was slashed with his own blood, a thousand batarians stared down only twenty humans. All seemed to have forgotten their basic survival as they rushed forward with claws and needle teeth bared. Fila saw it all, the humans in desperation opened fire killings dozens in seconds, this only further infuriated the crowd as two squad automatic weapons began firing 200 rounds belts. Scything back and forth the gunners held down the triggers until the barrels glowed red and their ammunition ran dry. Their lives only lasted another 20 seconds, magazines empty and belts run dry the soldiers attempted to reload. In a blood fury the crowd was on them, tearing limb from limb and even biting into exposed and unarmored skin the brutal fury of the people was shown on the soldiers turned meat. Fila screamed, she screamed louder than her voice box could record her vocals as she witnessed the utter brutality of the people, she had been standing around for the last twenty minutes. Shouts of victory arose from the blood covered killers, brandishing helmets and weapons of their sworn enemy they taunted the two flying vultures greedily staring at them from the sky.

Fila had to get somewhere with hard cover right now, if she didn't then she would die along with every single person in this square when the human's response came, and oh it would come. She hadn't just sat by and lounged for the past four months for she had watched the human's brutality up close when it came to dealing with their enemies. Scanning around her she found no place of hard cover, only ramshackle shacks which wouldn't hold up against anything stronger than a BB. Turning back to the two five tons she knew what she had to do. Pushing past the squabbling idiots grabbing for the human's equipment, already fighting for the blood covered spoils. The bodies of the torn apart humans where the worst of it. Quickly jumping over the still bleeding corpses, she caught only a glimpse.

He had black skin, face in contorted pain and rage with the thick slices from batarian hands covering his face in a disgusting puzzle of cuts. She landed on the other side, quickly crawling under the truck. Opening her omni tool she called Brutus and brinus again to see just where they were.

"Fila! It's a shit show out here, were trying to make our way too you as fats as we can but theirs just too many dammed people running in the other direction!"

"I know, the people killed the soldiers at the food supply point. I'm hiding under one of the trucks waiting for the shooting to start again. Brutus I'm sorry but I can't let you both try to come get me only to get yourselves killed. Go back to the tent now."

Brutus's mandibles went wide, face in shock.

"But Fila! We can't leave you out their what if the humans find you!"

"Ill just have to explain myself, get back to the tent now, ill get back as soon as I can."

"Ok Fila, be safe."

Turning off her omni tool, Fila sighed at her fate of being stuck under a truck waiting for the literal death from above when she heard a rustling beside her. She hadn't looked exactly everywhere under the truck when she had scurried here and looking to her left her heart almost stopped. The human from earlier, the one who had been stuck first by the batarian. His arm was bandaged but bleeding through, his weapon was nowhere to be found save for a 6-inch combat knife he held in one had aimed at her. His face was covered by one of those Shemaghs but his eyes were behind the see through glasses all of the humans wore. Wide as saucers just like hers he was terrified. Slowly backing away toward one end of the truck she looked to the outside to see hundreds of feet still running around.

"Banger 2-1 are their any survivors down their over?"

She could barely hear his radio, one of the cups on the side of his helmet was off blaring the human's voices under the truck. No one seemed to notice outside, and the human pulled the boom mic to where his lips would be.

"This is Banger 2-1 or what's left of it, I'm currently surrounded under the truck request QRF now over."

He was young by the voice, but he had a steely resolve when he spoke over the radio. She heard the dropships begin to pull off all things with the engines whining at the sudden acceleration.

"Banger 2-1 prepare for CBRN attack, say again prepare for CBRN attack. Orders are to eradicate that entire bunch of animals how copy?"

"Rog COC, will prepare for CBRN attack over."

"Rog Banger 2-1 COC out."

Discarding his helmet, the human began attacking a pouch on his thigh and pulled a tan colored mask out. It reminded her or her own mask with its large plastic eye piece and filters on either side, pulling on the mask he quickly re donned his helmet and went back to staring at the Quarian. What was a CBRN attack?

"Look I don't want to hurt you, I'm not like the batarians outside."

He only stared with cold indifference, those hateful eyes staring at nothing more than an alien to him. If he could understand her, she didn't know, they all wore those watches that acted just like omni tools so hopefully he could.

"I don't want to die, I had nothing to do with what happened out there. Can you please tell me what a CBRN attack is?"

The telltale whistle of landing mortar shells started to fill the air. The screams began, no longer those of victory but pure terror. With tears beginning to hit her eyes she began to plead with the soldier.

"Please! If you can understand me what is a CBRN attack!"

The shells landed, she saw one hit the ground not ten feet away but instead of exploding in shrapnel and flames that would have most certainly killed her it started to emit a light mist. Then it grew, with each shell that hit the dirt the greenish grass turned into a cloud of something and the horror of what a CBRN attack really was hit home. Hundreds of batarians began coughing, eyes bleeding and screaming for their lives. The gas did not hesitate as it filled the lungs of all those around and made their own bodies turn against them, cries of anguish sounded all around until the first bodies began to hit the dirt. One landed right next to her, still clutching the standard issue human M5 rifle, he had died with blood in his eyes and a swelled tongue clogging his throat.

Fila began to scream, never in all her years of reporting straight from the battlefield had she witnessed a horror such as this. 30 seconds in and already there were hundreds of corpses dotting the town center. She crawled up into a ball to shield herself from witnessing anymore of this, murder. She caught a glance at the human once more to see a face of nothing, he saw the same images, the same bodies she did and displayed no emotion.

She was still curled up in a ball under the truck when she heard the rustling of the human getting out from under the vehicle. She heard the dropships come in and unload dozens of soldiers, their booted feet striking the earth all around her as they went over the hundreds of dead. The she felt the hands grab her legs and begin to drag her out from under the truck.

"No! Please no! I had nothing to do with this! I just came here for food!"

Two soldiers pulled her to her feet, her head hung low she couldn't bring herself to stare at her executioners.

"What the fuck is a Quarian doing here? Jenkinson! Get me COC and tell them we have a Quarian!"

Looking up the double bars of a USEC army captain met her eyes.

"Mind telling what you're doing here, Ma'am?"

Notes- so CBRN or Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear is the US militaries acronym for WMDs. More notes, I want to get past the interwar period at this points and get to the reapers yabba dabba dabba. Also might make another fic in same universe dealing with a USEC expedition to Andromeda hardy har har.


	19. Chapter 19

**Geneva, Earth Presidential briefing room GWOT +5 Months**

"Room attention!"

President Sharon spire was a good wartime president, leaving on the ground policy and battlefield diplomacy to her officers had made her a shining star in the eyes of the military. With victory after victory in the so-called galactic war on terrorism her poll numbers couldn't have been any higher with numbers being somewhere around 76%. There were always those that opposed the ruling body though, those that would see the exact opposite of her government's actions in favor of something no human being could possibly stomach. The current political body opposing her in both congress and various rebel groups on the outer colonies had begun calling themselves the systems alliance. This "alliance" was a mish mash of ideologies who agreed on one thing and one thing only, an opening of relations with the citadel and abolishment of the current government.

Left wing, right wing, it didn't matter as the groups all now flew under the same flag and made up 12% of the congress and senate sadly. OSI leads into their funding had turned up information none of the intelligence community had been aware of until today, the money lead to Shanxi. After the Shanxi incident 8 years ago, companies had been allowed limited trade with parties related to the citadel side of space. With only a single relay leading into citadel space it was only natural for the focal point of citadel business ventures to reside on Shanxi and the Embassy on the other side of the relay. Homeland Security, the military, and the OSI had kept tabs on every single transaction going through the refugee ridden planet to not allow certain technologies to fall into the alien's hands like FTL and certain weapons technology. Two months ago, a private security firm had decided it was high time to betray the very people it worked for. In doing so they had attempted to seize a USECN destroyer and escape to Citadel space in the hopes of selling it to Asari and Turian intelligence officers. The destroyer had been retaken before it had left the shipyard by Navy Seals and its traitorous crew fled to Shanxi. There whereabouts after this were unknown.

The current main talking point of her so-called opposition was the chemical attack on Dar'lash 3 days ago. Video footage had surfaced of USEC soldiers getting literally torn apart by crazed batarians and in response the local commander had authorized nerve gas on the savages. The politicians on both sides of the divide were pulling their own hair out in a fit, accusing the USEC of using WMDs on civilians. If intel was right, the Asari were at the forefront of this crusade, rallying as many of their people as possible with pictures of dead civilians who had choked on their own blood while fighting on the ground like insects. Of course, none of the aliens cared for the 23 soldiers who had been killed with claws and teeth, whose parents, loved ones, and siblings would be receiving letters announcing their death on a foreign battlefield.

"Take your seats everyone, we have plenty of work to do and a galaxy which will not wait on us. Homeland where are you?"

"here Ma'am!"

Director Smithers was a small man compared to the military officers around him, on the smaller side he made up for it with a mind holding radical ideas which could find and eliminate any threat at home. He was one of 30 or so people that made up the war cabinet of her government, ranging from the department of transportation to the Special operations group. These were the people which cared for 376 worlds and their billions upon billions of people.

"Well let's hear how the Homefront is standing."

"Yes Mrs. President if you can all direct your attention to the center of the table you will better understand the current threats to the USEC."

The USEC Eagle floated at the center before changing to the flag of the supposed "Systems Alliance".

"As of 1500 hours yesterday the department of homeland security has officially recognized the political entity known as the systems alliance as a terrorist organization. Twenty separate raids on four worlds in the outer colonies by DHS agents have found confirmed links between Citadel intel officers and leaders of this movement. Among the captured were two Asari who had been in bed, literally with two senators from the outer colonies. Within three hours of the raids there was an attempted reprisal attack on the Martian shipyards by 200 terrorists flying the flag of the Alliance. Military police have dealt with the terrorist's and are currently rooting out any who could have gotten away. On the other side of the coin, citizens are quick to point out any possible Citadel sympathizers with those who's loyalty to humanity being questioned quickly put on our watch list for their direct future."

"Your telling me these terrorists were able to breach the Martian shipyards and possibly endanger fleet production?"

"No Ma'am, their attempt to enter the civilian's sector of the shipyards was stopped at the loading and offloading area. Workers pointed out the oddity of the random people carrying large bags and MPs investigated before the terrorist stuck. So far USEC casualties are around 37 while current terrorist body count is close to 178."

"Alright then good, and since where on the subject of production, Treasury give us a brief on current military expenditures."

"Mrs. President the current value allocated to the defense budget is rising every month with its all time high of now, $479,856,432,000."

"Goddam."

"Shit."

"Well fuck."

Well fuck was right, that was about 15% of the total USEC economy for god's sake. With billions of troops, ships, research projects, and the literal armies which garrisoned worlds it made sense for the defense budget to encompass so much.

"Is this sustainable Mrs. Lathem?"

A question on everyone's minds, General Shepard was always one to point out any possible flaws. Seeing who had asked the question, the small Asian women's eyes went wide before she looked over her smart watch at the variety of numbers going by. No one dared anger the Special operations group or its notorious commander, they were almost afraid of angering him as they were the president if not more.

"Yes, projected economic growth puts these numbers in the green so long as current growth continues with more and more worlds found and their resources added to the USEC. The treasury recommends that naval assets be requisitioned in the finding or more recourse rich worlds and their possible potential be fully utilized by companies already taking government contracts."

"Navy, what's your say on sending a few ships out for exploration only?"

Pulling his watch out, Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Cranston looked over his current roster of ships either coming home or leaving for deployment. The career naval officer had served his current post for five years, taking over from a wartime Admiral had not been easy but he was almost made for this. His calls for a larger budget and modernization never hurt when it came to congress or the senate.

"I can spare Two light battlegroups recently stood up in the Martian shipyards. Two dozen frigates with four or so cruisers sound good to you?"

The treasury's eyes lit up, the economic potential seemingly flowing through her entire being as she calculated the possible discoveries with so many ships.

"Yes, more than good enough Admiral, thank you."

All eyes fell on her again waiting for her to call her next briefer.

"Strategic reserve, are we anywhere near ready?"

The strategic reserve was the USECs shield against any possible alien, or unknown to half the room great enemies attack. Thousands of ships, hundreds of thousands of aircraft, armored vehicles, and billions of tons of equipment for the lowliest soldier were situated on out of the way worlds within the USEC. Since the Shanxi incident, it had only doubled in size with the USECs shipyards and factories churning out more and more equipment for any possible future conflict. Some, mostly in congress questioned the viability of having such a massive stockpile of arms but all Sharon had to do was show these members the casualties of the current war before they quickly checked themselves. General Brickmire, USEC Army was the current head of the strategic reserve and held its whereabouts with an iron fist.

"Ma'am current levels stand at 74% of requested amounts, Mars, Tarues, and New Geneva are pushing their shipyards to overcapacity in fulfilling their contracts given to them by the Navy. Boeing MiG has so far recompleted 34% of their current contract and are projected to finish by the end of the 2170s. General dynamics, Krauss-Sukhoi and Mitsubishi stand at 78% with the Mars reserve at 100% capacity for armored vehicles."

"How many capitol ships does the reserve fleet currently hold?"

"102, 54 of those being Carriers to super carriers and the rest either battleships or Super heavy cruisers. I'll also add 2 ODIN orbital platforms to the Martian reserves as well."

Holy fuck, to control one ODIN was enough to make entire governments shake but three in total would make the galaxy tremble in fear.

"Good looks like numbers are just where analyst projected them to be, now onto the war, Generals what are current casualties….."

**Citadel, Councilor chambers Serpent Nebula**

"All rise for the citadel council."

Governments, no matter they human or alien all acted the same to those who pulled the strings which shook worlds. Three councilors, whose very word could spell the fall and damnation of worlds entered the chamber full of representatives from governments signed onto the citadel charter. Salarian, Volus, Turian, Asari, Hanar/Drell, Elcor, and finally the new Batarian republic all looked to those they placed their trust into when it came to galactic affairs.

"Please sit, all present please abstain from any discussion until the topic is fully explained to all those here, Matriarch Benezia if you would like to begin."

Tevos knew why the grieving mother was pressing her case to the assembled elite. She would never explain the whole story, but it was good for the gathered leaders to understand just what kind of enemy they had held off for eight years. An image appeared before all, a young Asari maiden smiling out front of Thessias top university with a certain Matriarch bedside her.

"This is my daughter, Liara T' Soni. She was a Prothean researcher embedded with a Council exploratory team a year ago, her team went dark two months after their initial insertion and no one had any idea why, until now."

A new image appeared, a human skull wearing a green beret flanked by two human rifles. The letters MACDMZ-SOG were displayed at the top inside a yellow bar.

"The USEC's most well kept secret, and the kidnappers of my daughter. This unit, this Military assistance command BDMZ special observations group are responsible for the dozens of atrocities committed before the outbreak of their so-called galactic war on terrorism. Their targets were prothean archeological sites, research teams sent by the citadel to recover lost tech, and my daughter. Her body was never recovered amongst the thousands of dead, lost to us in what we thought were batarian pirate raids but were the acts of a government risking war. I ask you now, what will be done for these people, what will be done for my daughter?"

Liara T'Sonis face once again came over the screen.

"Please do not brush this under the rug, do not cower at their distasteful tactics. Please help me."

Her last words were intermixed with tears, something so incredibly rare of an asari matriarch to shed that everyone in the chamber could almost feel the mother's pain.

"How have you confirmed she has been kidnapped by the USEC?"

All attention in the room turned to a single Salarian in the rear, orangish-white skin, he was missing a horn and had the look of someone used to going over every detail. Tevos saw her opening and wished to not let the matriarch feel any more pain.

"And you are?"

"Mordin Solus, Special Task group, good story but would like to see evidence USEC is responsible for these actions. Reasons behind abducting and eliminating Citadel research teams, confusing."

"If you wish to see more evidence than I will direct you to the Turian hierarchy. General Victus, if you will."

The commanding officer of the Turian Black watch strode to the center of the room, activating a vid recording the image of a bloody human male entered the screen.

"Five days ago, a rebellion began on the Batarian world of Dar'lash, during said rebellion, rebels were able to capture a USEC army soldier by the name of 1st Sergeant Zaeed Massani with the help of the Turian Blackwatch. You will find this vid interesting and more than enough to confirm the matriarch's speech."

He pressed play and the vid came into focus, the human was stripped to only his pants and boots. Tied to a table, cables snaked throughout his body constantly supplying drugs and electric shocks to further coerce the subject. Outside of the screen a turian voice began to question the human.

"What is your name."

"Zaeed Massani. 145th Martian Infantry Division, 3-45th Infantry battalion. Serial number 1852280431 you turian fuck."

The captor applied a large electrical shock making the man scream for 30 seconds before stopping.

"You were a member of the MAC-DMZSOG yes, what operations did you conduct with the observations group?"

A new color entered the syringes hooked up to the man, the blue substance put into his body racking him with pain before a glassy look overtook his eyes and he stared into space.

"Answer the Question 1st Sergeant."

"I got out of the group after I lost my leg to an Asari commando, I was never the same and I couldn't risk the guys dying to my inability to keep up."

"Answer the question Massani."

The vid panned down to the leg in question, the mechanical device that had replaced it was shattered, no doubt by the interrogators.

"A year ago, I think, we hit this planet with the target being some alien broad. T' Boni? I think, doesn't matter I- NO FUCK YOU XENOS!"

More electricity coursed through his body with massive amounts of fluid now being pumped into his blood stream.

"AH!- It was me and Anderson, the Seal was always one to do anything for humanity, we hit the site with the rest of our platoon and killed everybody we found except for two."

"Who were these two that did not fit the criteria?"

"An Asari, the one from the picture and a Quarian."

"A Quarian?"

"Yes, Daro'Xen. Orders were to only eliminate Citadel members not the Quarian."

"Alright ill note that in my report, alright what happened after your platoon left? And who gave these orders for the targets on your hitlist?"

"We bagged the blue bitch and AH FUCK YOU YA FUCKIN CUNTS!"

The vid panned away from the man, resting at an angle the sounds of gagging were heard in the background. The Asari delegation was looking Squeamish while the Hanar/ Drell were speaking in hushed tones. It panned back to the human who now sported a device encircling his head with prods sinking into his skull, bleeding onto his white face. An Asari commando threw up at seeing the device before it began playing audio again.

"We transported the Asari to our Stealth frigate, the USS Manston, we were ambushed by a couple batarians but a gunship dealt with them real quick. After that we flew to the Manston and handed off the Asari to Commander harper."

"Commander Harper?"

"Yes, I think he was a Seal before the office sunk their teeth in him. He was the OSI handler for a lot of our ops but when he got the Asari he vanished, never knew what happened to him."

"And these types of missions were common after this one yes?"

"Yeah, did another ten or so before I lost my leg to an Asari clutching a hand grenade, that fuckING BITCH FUCK YOU YA FUCKIN XENO WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS FUCKING THING ILL RIP OUT YOUR FUCKIN AH!"

General Victus stopped the video and went back to his seat, the image stuck on the snarling human staring into the camera.

"Is that enough proof for you agent Solus?"

"Yes, will begin studies into this MACDMZ-SOG, thankyou general. Very interesting point of the USEC letting a Quarian live through one of these raids, will have to instruct specters to investigate."

Solus sat down amongst the other agents and began conversing, leaving the chamber open for Tevos once more.

"Now that we have all seen just how far the humans will go, what will be our response to this. I leave this open to all those assembled."

The Elcor delegation surprisingly answered first.

"With great anxiety, the courts of Dekunna do not wish to participate in this conflict, we would like to excuse ourselves before this becomes war on Dekunnas shores."

"If you wish but be assured your absence will be noted by this council."

"With deep pity, we understand madam councilor, the Dekunna courts will now take their leave."

The elcor delegation left leaving the air open once more, it was the Hanar/Drell delegation hat spoke next.

"This one is angered at the desecration of the enkindlers holiest sites, the Hanar government stands by the citadel in any act it will take upon the primates."

"Thankyou, is anyone else in this room wishing to leave before a vote is taken?"

None rose a hand, talon, or tentacle to the Asaris words, Good.

"Then we will begin preparations to rescue the Asari maiden Liara T'Soni, while we cannot directly declare war upon the USEC at this time we shall make it our objective to make their lives a living hell. This will require the efforts of every government here if we are to succeed in our goals of stemming the human's tide of war enveloping the border system and we will have to be willing to share these blows. General Victus if you would like to share you propositions now?"

"Yes, Madam councilor, I and the turian hierarchy propose a multinational strike force with the goal of stopping these raids on our assets. This unit shall fall under the office of special tactics and recon and use the same funding, personnel, and equipment given to Spectres."

"What will this organization be called?"

"They shall be called the Citadel Legion."

**BLACKSITE 227 LOCAITON UNKOWN **

Liara T'Soni, daughter of Benezia T'Soni had become a shell of her former self. A year since her capture by these barbarians she had tried to resist, tried to fight, tried to do anything to keep her self together in this place of only pain and misery. All had been for naught, the repeated torture used by her captors had worn her away to become a being which only hated those around her. There were other prisoners of course, mostly aliens save for the occasional human which had somewhere drawn the ire of the USEC and ended up alongside those deemed valuable enough to keep alive. She hadn't talked to anybody except for that monster for the last year, at first she had tried to appeal to either his or the other guards morality but it had failed. All she saw on any face but his were the black T-visor helmets which kept any sense of emotion from the uncaring guards.

She could have used her biotics, tried to fight and most likely die to her captors around her but she knew it would fail. All carried automatic weapons which would tear her barriers to shreds in seconds, it looked to be some type of sub machine gun but she never got good looks. Then their were the grenades, automated turrets, probably mines, and anything else the creators of this hellhole decided needed making to keep those who could not leave in. Her hate kept her warm here, when she had arrived, she'd been the shy researcher who couldn't understand why she had been taken. That person had broken after the first week, after her first drowning and resuscitation at the hands of her captor. Then came the batteries hooked up to places they should not have been, so called "Enhanced interrogation techniques" which stressed her body to its limits and truly showed her just how far the USEC would go with its powers.

She had told them everything they asked, every detail of operations all over the batarian DMZ. No doubt her friends had paid for her crimes, dead in ditches and their bodies burned by the same soldiers which had killed a spectre to get to her. In her mind when her thoughts went back to that fateful day, she could see herself not being the scared researcher but the woman she was now, an angry being who would have gladfully used her biotics on those dammed soldiers and killed them were they stood. The black one, she remembered the nametape on his vest. ANDERSON. She would find that fucker and show him just what is was like to be tortured for secret's which didn't seem connected but led to something bigger, much bigger. In her solitude she had gone over all the data collected from her studies and pieced it together with everything she knew. None of it made any sense apart but the questions her tormentor asked were of an odd variety which opened a new light on her research.

The Protheans hadn't just packed up and walked off, something had destroyed the galaxy spanning empire. The USEC was looking for this something and they were afraid, something so terrible that they risked inter galactic war in the search for it. But what could it be? Their was nobody else in this massive galaxy save for the Citadel and USEC. So if it wasn't here, that meant…

The door to her shell chimed with somebody opening it. The mechanical voice began its usual announcement over the intercom

"PRISONER FACE THE REAR WALL AND PLACE HAND ON WALL, REFUSAL WILL RESULT IN INJURY."

Liara did and she was told, to do anything else was to earn a punishment she didn't need too. The Mechanisms inside the door pulled it open and the sound of a single pair of boots entering told her just who had entered.

"Greetings Commander Harper."

**Galaxies edge**

Something was wrong. Something unaccounted for had been missed in the last culling and now it was becoming extremely evident plans would have to be set in motion for the galaxy to be prepared once more. Long dormant systems activated along the two-kilometer-long body orbiting a long-deactivated mass relay. Peeking into the large information network of this cycle, the being scanned the open airways for the anomaly. A race deviating off its selected path given to it 50,000 years ago by its better. A race which had somehow come to challenge those who were there to preserve it till the end of time. Reading over the scant information, pictures, and video evidence the machine if it had been organic would have shivered. This was beyond an anomaly; this was beyond a single deviation. This was a danger that must be culled before it could possibly harm the cycle.

"SYSTEMS ONLINE. . SOVERIGN"

FUCKING NOTE- I rewrote this fucking thing four times. Zaeed got the shit tortured out of him yo. Also 32,000 views amigos.

Realism notes- on the budget for the USEC, the current earth GDP is around 80 trillion, if we had like 350 earth like or massive factory planets, we could totally afford that.


End file.
